Gas dispersion manufacture of nanoparticulates, and nanoparticulate-containing products and processing thereof

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method of making multi-phase particles that include nanoparticulates and matrix, which maintains the nanoparticulates in a dispersed state. A flowing gas dispersion is generated that includes droplets of a precursor medium dispersed in a gas phase. The precursor medium contains liquid vehicle and at least a first precursor to a first material and a second precursor to a second material. The multi-phase particles are formed from the gas dispersion by removing at least a portion of the liquid vehicle from the droplets of precursor medium. The nanoparticulates in the multi-phase particles include the first material and the matrix in the multi-phase particles includes the second material.

1 . A gas dispersion method for making nanoparticulates, the method comprising: 
 generating a flowing gas dispersion, as generated the gas dispersion comprising droplets of a precursor medium dispersed in a gas phase, with the precursor medium comprising liquid vehicle and at least two precursors, a first said precursor being a precursor to a first material and a second said precursor being a precursor to a second material;    in the gas dispersion, forming multi-phase particles dispersed in the gas phase, the multi-phase particles each comprising a dispersion of nanoparticulates and matrix, with the nanoparticulates maintained in a dispersed state in the multi-phase particles by the matrix;    the forming multi-phase particles comprising removing at least a portion of the liquid vehicle from the droplets to the gas phase and forming the matrix and the dispersion of the nanoparticulates, with the nanoparticulates comprising the first material and the matrix comprising the second material; and    wherein during the forming, average stream temperature of the gas dispersion does not exceed a melting temperature of the matrix for longer than 10 seconds.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the forming, the average stream temperature of the gas dispersion is maintained at lower than the melting temperature of the second material.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the removing, the average stream temperature of the gas dispersion does not exceed a temperature that is at least 10° C. lower than the melting temperature of the second material.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second material has a melting temperature of at least as high as 100° C.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second material has a melting temperature in a range of from 100° C. to 500° C.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the forming, the average stream temperature of the gas dispersion does not exceed a melting temperature of the matrix for longer than 5 seconds.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein during the forming, the average stream temperature of the gas dispersion does not exceed a melting temperature of the second material by more than 100° C.  
   
   
       8 .- 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A gas dispersion method for making nanoparticulates, the method comprising: 
 generating a flowing gas dispersion, as generated the gas dispersion comprising droplets of a precursor medium dispersed in a gas phase, with the precursor medium comprising liquid vehicle and at least two precursors, a first said precursor being a precursor to a first material and a second said precursor being a precursor to a second material;    in the gas dispersion, forming multi-phase particles dispersed in the gas phase, the multi-phase particles each comprising a dispersion of nanoparticulates and matrix, with the nanoparticulates maintained in a dispersed state by the matrix;    the forming multi-phase particles comprising removing at least a portion of the liquid vehicle from the droplets to the gas phase and forming the matrix and the dispersion of the nanoparticulates, with the nanoparticulates comprising the first material and the matrix comprising the second material; and    after the forming multi-phase particles, treating the multi-phase particles to modify at least one of the nanoparticulates and the matrix while the nanoparticulates are in the dispersed state.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the treating is performed while the multi-phase particles are dispersed in the gas phase.  
   
   
       26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein prior to the treating, separating the multi-phase particles from the gas phase.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the gas dispersion is the first gas dispersion and the method comprises, after the separating and prior to the treating: 
 dispersing the multi-phase particles in a carrier gas to form a second gas dispersion and performing the treating in the second gas dispersion.    
   
   
       29 .- 62 . (canceled)  
   
   
       63 . A method for modifying a chemical or physical property of nanoparticulates, the method comprising: 
 maintaining the nanoparticulates in a dispersed state within multi-phase particles comprising the nanoparticulates and matrix; and    during the maintaining, treating the nanoparticulates, wherein the treating comprises modifying at least one property of the nanoparticulates to prepare modified nanoparticles.    
   
   
       64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the treating comprises subjecting the multi-phase particles to a thermal treatment at elevated temperature.  
   
   
       65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the modifying comprises structural modification of the nanoparticulates during the thermal treatment.  
   
   
       66 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the modifying comprises compositional modification of the nanoparticulates during the thermo treatment.  
   
   
       67 .- 99 . (canceled)  
   
   
       100 . A method for making multi-phase particles comprising nanoparticulates and matrix, the method comprising: 
 generating a flowing gas dispersion, as generated the gas dispersion comprising droplets of a precursor medium dispersed in a gas phase, with the precursor medium comprising liquid vehicle and at least two precursors, a first said precursor being a precursor to a first material and a second said precursor being a precursor to a second material;    in the gas dispersion, removing at least a portion of the liquid vehicle from the droplets to the gas phase and forming first particles dispersed in the gas phase;    modifying the first particles to form second particles, the second particles being multi-phase particles each comprising a dispersion of nanoparticulates and matrix, with the nanoparticulates maintained in a dispersed state in the multi-phase particles by the matrix; and    wherein the nanoparticulates comprise the first material and the matrix comprises the second material.    
   
   
       101 .- 102 . (canceled)  
   
   
       103 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the first particles comprise nanoparticulate domains and the modifying comprises increasing the size of the nanoparticulate domains to form the nanoparticulates.  
   
   
       104 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the first particles do not comprise nanoparticulate domains and the modifying comprises forming the nanoparticulates.  
   
   
       105 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the first particles comprise unreacted first precursor and the modifying comprises reacting at least a portion of the unreacted first precursor to form the first material.  
   
   
       106 .- 124 . (canceled)