V. Zacharopoulou, K. Sakellariou, D. Dimitrakis, S. Lorentzou, G. Kastrinaki, G. Ganas, A.G. Konstandopoulos
Center for Research & Technology - Hellas (CERTH),
Greece
Keywords: nanoparticles, aerosol based manufacturing, advanced materials
Summary:
Advances in Aerosol Based Manufacturing (ABM), which involve nanoparticle synthesis, deposition and characterization, currently enable diverse applications in several key markets and scientific fields (e.g. fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals). Highly compact, multifunctional ceramic reactors are developed for applications in Automotive Emission Control, while the technology is extended in the area of Solar Thermochemical Reactors for the production of Carbon-Neutral Fuels, exclusively using renewable/recyclable raw materials. Aerosol Based Manufacturing is an efficient one-step synthesis method that enables production of powder materials in an integrated fashion that combines aerosol spray generation, thermal treatment with a variety of sources (e.g. electric, burner and plasma) and deposition; via the formation of an aerosol of droplets (atomization of an appropriate solution of precursors of metal salts) that passes through a heated tubular reactor. The produced solid particles can be collected on a filter at the exit of the reactor. Alternatively, the particles can be in-situ synthesized and deposited on porous structures (e.g. wall-flow honeycomb monoliths) for applications that demand the functionalization of surfaces via coating. The key characteristics of the produced particles can be tailored, depending on the application they are designed for, via the control of the operating parameters (e.g. flow, temperature etc.), as well as of the precursor solution characteristics. Within this context, several types of materials (e.g. consisting of a single or mixed metal oxides, or metal oxides doped with other elements etc.) have been synthesized for a wide range of environmental and energy applications, e.g. automotive applications (i.e. diesel soot particles oxidation and gaseous pollutants abatement), battery materials, CO2 storage, and solar fuel production.