Cavitation apparatus and method of using same

Abstract

Provided in one embodiment is a method of making, comprising: exposing a raw material having a first viscosity to a first pressure and a first temperature such that the raw material after the exposure has a second viscosity, wherein the raw material comprises particles comprising at least one electrically conductive material, and wherein the second viscosity is sufficiently low for the raw material to be adapted for a hydrodynamic cavitation process; and subjecting the raw material having the second viscosity to the hydrodynamic cavitation process to make a product material having a third viscosity. Apparatus employed to apply the method and the exemplary compositions made in accordance with the method are also provided.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus system, comprising:
 a first feed tube configured to contain a raw material, which has a first viscosity and is to be supplied into a hydrodynamic cavitation chamber that is downstream and separate from the apparatus system; and   an air-driven piston configured to create a condition having a first pressure and a first temperature sufficiently high to reduce the first viscosity to a second viscosity being sufficiently low for the raw material to be pushed into an orifice of the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber to undergo a hydrodynamic cavitation process to form a product material.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus system of  claim 1 , downstream of the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber further comprising a thermal control system, the thermal control system comprising at least one of a heat exchanger, a thermal couple, and a cooling fluid reservoir configured to supply the fluid to cool the product material discharged from the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus system of  claim 2 , wherein the thermal control system is configured to control the second temperature to be below a thermal degradation temperature of the raw material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus system of  claim 2 , downstream of the thermal control system further comprising a closed system comprising:
 a second feed tube;   a plurality of two-way valves and three-way valves configured to resupply the product material back into the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber to repeat the hydrodynamic cavitation process; and   a pressure transducer.   
     
     
         5 . A fabrication system comprising the apparatus system of  claim 1  and the hydrodynamic cavitation chamber. 
     
     
         6 . A composition, comprising:
 particles comprising an electrically conductive material;   at least two glass materials;   at least one organic solvent; and   at least one polymer material, wherein the composition is a part of a raw material subjected to a hydrodynamic cavitation process.   
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the composition at room temperature has a viscosity of at least about 1 Kcps. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises at least one of:
 (i) at least one of: Ag, Pd, Au, Pt, Ni, Cu, Ru, or an alloy thereof; and   (ii) at least one of: carbon black, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and graphite.   
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the particles comprising at least one electrically conductive material in the raw material have a particle size distribution comprising at least three average particle sizes. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one glass material comprises borosilicate. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least two glass materials comprise:
 a first glass material having a first transition temperature;   a second glass material having a second transition temperature, the second transition temperature being higher than the first transition temperature;   wherein a weight ratio of the first glass material and the second glass material in the raw material is 8:1.   
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least two glass materials having at least one of the following:
 (i) a softening temperature between about 400° C. and about 460° C.;   (ii) a glass transition temperature between about 320° C. and about 385° C.; and   (iv) an average particle size between about 0.1 microns and 3 microns.   
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one organic solvent comprises at least one organic solvent comprising at least one of ester alcohol and alpha terpineol. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one polymer material comprises at least one of a resin, a thixotropic agent, a lubricant, a plasticizer, and a wax. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the composition comprises: (i) about 3.5 to about 6.0 wt. % of the at least two glass materials; (ii) about 80 to about 88 wt. % of the particles comprising an electrically conductive material; (iii) about 10.8 to about 14.4 wt. % of the organic solvent; and (iv) about 1.2 to 1.6 wt. % of the polymer material. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the composition comprises: (i) about 3.5 to about 6.0 wt. % of the at least two glass materials; (ii) about 65 to about 75 wt. % of the particles comprising an electrically conductive material; (iii) about 18 to about 27 wt. % of the organic solvent; and (iv) about 2 to 3 wt. % of the polymer material.