METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FINE CARBON PARTICLES

• US 20100003185A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony S. Wagner
• Original Assignee: Anthony S. Wagner
• Inventors: Wagner, Anthony S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/445.R
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/26 Nozzle-type reactors, i.e. the distribution of the initial reactants within the reactor is effected by their introduction or injection through nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00123 adding a temperature modifying medium to the reactants
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/05 Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/205 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/844 Growth by vaporization or dissociation of carbon source using a high-energy heat source, e.g. electric arc, laser, plasma, e-beam

Abstract

A method includes producing an isolation atmosphere in a phase changing area above a reactant liquid and then injecting a feed material into the reactant liquid. The feed material includes a carbon-bearing material. The method further includes maintaining the molecules of the injected carbon-bearing material and any reaction products in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the carbon-bearing material or reaction products from that material, and place the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state. Liberated carbon atoms in the excited state are then allowed to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and flow along a particle formation path through the phase changing area so that the liberated carbon atoms may phase change to the ground state while suspended in the phase changing area.

Claims

1. A method including:

(a) injecting a feed material into a reactant liquid, the feed material including a carbon-bearing material;

(b) maintaining carbon from the carbon-bearing material in contact with the reactant liquid for a period of time sufficient to liberate carbon atoms from the carbon-bearing material or from reaction products of the carbon-bearing material;

(c) collecting carbon product in a collection volume, the collection volume being defined at a lowermost extent by a surface of the reactant liquid and having a lateral extent defined between laterally spaced apart side walls extending transverse to the surface of the reactant liquid, the collected carbon product being formed from the liberated carbon atoms; and

(d) as the carbon product is collected in the collection volume, introducing a fluid directly into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the surface of the reactant liquid in order to reach the collection volume.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant liquid includes liquid aluminum at a temperature at or above 650 degrees Celsius.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the carbon product includes carbon structures made up of one or more hexagonal carbon atom rings.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluid introduced into the collection volume includes a gas that does not react with excited carbon atoms which traverse the surface of the reactant liquid to reach the collection volume.

5. The method of claim 1 further including maintaining the inner boundary wall under a negative electrical charge.

6. The method of claim 1 further including controlling the temperature of the fluid introduced into the collection volume.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the temperature of the fluid introduced into the collection volume and the rate at which the fluid is introduced into the collection volume maintains the collection volume at a temperature below the temperature of the reactant liquid.

8. A method including:

(a) liberating carbon atoms from a carbon-bearing material by reaction with or in a reactant liquid, and maintaining the liberated carbon atoms in an excited state;

(b) enabling the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state to traverse a surface of the reactant liquid and pass into a collection volume; and

(c) as the liberated carbon atoms in the excited state pass into the collection volume, introducing a fluid directly into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the surface of the reactant liquid in order to reach the collection volume.

9. The method of claim 8 further including maintaining a boundary surface under a negative electrical charge, the boundary surface comprising a surface that defines the collection volume above the surface of the reactant liquid.

10. The method of claim 8 further including controlling the temperature of the fluid introduced into the collection volume.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the temperature of the fluid introduced into the collection volume and the rate at which the fluid is introduced into the collection volume maintains the collection volume at a temperature below the temperature of the reactant liquid.

12. The method of claim 8 further including maintaining the temperature in the collection volume at a temperature of approximately 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

13. The method of claim 8 further including removing a carbon product from the collection volume, wherein the carbon product includes carbon structures made up of one or more hexagonal carbon atom rings.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the fluid introduced into the collection volume includes a gas that does not react with excited carbon atoms which pass into the collection volume from the reactant liquid.

15. An apparatus including:

(a) a reactant liquid vessel for containing a reactant liquid at a reactant liquid level;

(b) an injection conduit positioned to inject a stream of feed material into the reactant liquid vessel at a point below the reactant liquid level;

(c) a phase changing chamber positioned to receive effluent escaping from the reactant liquid in the reactant liquid vessel in an effluent ejection area, the phase changing chamber together with the plane of the reactant liquid level defining a collection volume; and

(d) a fluid injection passage positioned to direct a fluid into the collection volume so that the fluid does not traverse the reactant liquid level to reach the collection volume.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the fluid injection passage comprises one of a number of fluid injection passages spaced apart across surfaces of the phase changing chamber above the reactant liquid level.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further including an isolation fluid jacket surrounding at least a portion of the phase changing chamber in which the fluid injection passages are located.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further including a feed material mixing arrangement connected to a carbon-bearing material supply and to an inert gas supply.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 further including an arrangement for maintaining negative electrical charge on a surface which defines a portion of the phase changing chamber.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the fluid introduced into the collection volume through the fluid injection passage includes a gas that does not react with excited carbon atoms which are produced by contact between the reactant liquid and a carbon-bearing included in the feed material.