Rotary Filter Apparatus For Roll-To-Roll Nanomaterial Dispersion Papermaking

Abstract

An apparatus for roll-to-roll nanomaterial dispersion papermaking includes a suction pressure for consolidating nanomaterials on a fluid permeable filter in one region of the filter and an opposite pressure region or regions for separating a mat of the consolidated nanomaterials and transferring the mat to a transfer roller. A transfer roller may have a suction pressure within the transfer roller to help transfer the mat from the filter to the transfer roller, for example. An inlet port distributes nanomaterials using row and zone inlets, for example.

1 . A mat of material in the form of a sheet or ribbon, the mat comprising:
 a plurality of layers, wherein each of the layers is formed from a composition of nanomaterials disposed locally at specific locations within each of the plurality of layers, and the composition of nanomaterials is selected from a particular source or sources of nanomaterials suspended in a working fluid that are deposited at the specific locations, such that the composition of nanomaterials deposited locally at the specific locations comprises exfoliated graphene, graphene oxide platelets, single-walled and multi-walled nanotubes, nanofibers, micro-fibrillated cellulose, nano-fibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, metal particles, quantum dots, ceramic particles, biomaterial particles, chitins, such as chitosan, nanowires, such as silicon, carbon, germanium and other nanowires, nanoclays, such as montmorillonite, bentonite, kaolinite, hectorite and halloysite, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, cellular materials, hemoglobin, DNA, RNA, liposomes, ribosomes, viruses, bacteria, marking and tagging agents or combinations of any of these;   at least a portion of the working fluid is separated from the composition of nanomaterials with at least a portion of the composition of nanomaterials being deposited at the specific locations; and   each of the plurality of layers has a different composition than other layers of the plurality of layers at the specific locations within each of the plurality of layers.   
     
     
         2 . The mat of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid comprises binders, surfactants, solvents, monomers or polymers. 
     
     
         3 . The mat of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the working fluid remains within the composition of nanomaterials deposited locally at specific locations within each of the layers. 
     
     
         4 . The mat of  claim 1 , wherein the composition of nanomaterials deposited locally at the specific locations comprises nanotubes. 
     
     
         5 . The mat of  claim 4 , wherein the nanotubes are comprised of carbon, boron, molybdenum, borides, nitrides, carbides, or combinations of carbon, boron, molybdenum, borides, nitrides or carbides. 
     
     
         6 . The mat of  claim 5 , wherein the nanotubes are comprised or carbon. 
     
     
         7 . The mat of  claim 6 , wherein the nanotubes are single-walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         8 . A device for making the mat of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a porous substrate mounted such that the porous substrate is translatable;   a pressure gradient region, wherein the porous substrate translates through the pressure gradient region such that a first pressure is present on a first side of the porous substrate and a second pressure is present on a second side of the porous substrate, the first pressure being greater than the second pressure;   a plurality of outlets disposed in relation to the pressure gradient region such that a liquid suspension comprising a working fluid and a composition of nanomaterials comprised of exfoliated graphene, graphene oxide platelets, single-walled and multi-walled nanotubes, nanofibers, micro-fibrillated cellulose, nano-fibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, metal particles, quantum dots, ceramic particles, biomaterial particles, chitins, such as chitosan, nanowires, such as silicon, carbon, germanium and other nanowires, nanoclays, such as montmorillonite, bentonite, kaolinite, hectorite and halloysite, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, cellular materials, hemoglobin, DNA, RNA, liposomes, ribosomes, viruses, bacteria, marking and tagging agents or combinations of any of these that is dispensed from one or more of the plurality of outlets is deposited on the porous substrate, such that at least a portion of the working fluid is drawn through the porous substrate and separated from the composition of nanomaterials;   a control system, wherein the control system is coupled, fluidically, to the plurality of outlets such that the composition of nanomaterials at each of the plurality of outlets is selectively dispensed from the one or more of the plurality of outlets and separated from the working fluid to form a layer of a plurality of layers of the mat, each layer having a composition of nanomaterials selectively deposited at specific locations within the layer by the plurality of outlets, such that the composition of nanomaterials in the layer is different than the composition of nanomaterials of the other layers of the plurality of layers of the mat.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a release region comprising a third pressure on the first side of the porous substrate and a fourth pressure on the second side of the porous substrate, wherein the third pressure is less than the fourth pressure, wherein when the porous substrate translates through the release region, the mat is released from porous substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the porous substrate is a rotary filter. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , further comprising a release region comprising a third pressure on the first side of the porous substrate and a fourth pressure on the second side of the porous substrate, wherein the third pressure is less than the fourth pressure, wherein when the porous substrate translates through the release region, the mat is released from porous substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a shield region, wherein the shield region separates the pressure gradient region from the release region, and the shield region reduces any pressure differential within the shield region. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , further comprising a peeling roller, wherein the peeling roller is disposed adjacent to the release region and is provided such that the peeling roller provides a pressure differential along an arcuate surface of the peeling roller, which provides a suction pressure opposing the first side of the porous substrate, and the pressure differential along the arcuate surface of the peeling roller draws the mat onto the peeling roller. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the peeling roller has another arcuate region where the pressure differential is reversed, separating the mat from the arcuate surface of the peeling roller. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , further comprising a transfer roller arranged to apply a transfer film onto an exposed surface of the mat as the mat is in contact with the peeling roller. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , further comprising another porous substrate, wherein the mat is separated from the porous substrate by the peeling roller and is directed to the another porous substrate, and the second porous substrate is arranged in another pressure gradient region, wherein the another porous substrate translates through the another pressure gradient region such that another fluid passes through the mat. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the another fluid comprises another liquid suspension deposited by another plurality of outlets, such that the another layer is comprised of another composition of nanomaterials, different from the composition of nanomaterials in the layer selectively deposited at specific locations as recited in  claim 8 . 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the rotary filter is comprised a porous polymer membrane. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the rotary filter is comprised of a structural mesh with a porous polymer membrane supported by the mesh. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the mesh is a metal mesh. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the rotary filter rotates about a central axis, translating the rotary filter past the pressure gradient region, and further comprising rotary seals sealing the sides of the rotary filter such that the working fluid passes through, and not around, the rotary, when the rotary filter is disposed within the pressure gradient region. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , further comprising a mechanical drive arranged such that the mechanical drive rotates the rotary filter, translating the rotary filter through the pressure gradient region. 
     
     
         23 . A method of making a sheet having a plurality of layers using the device of  claim 8 , the method comprising:
 disposing a porous substrate within a pressure gradient;   controlling the composition of a liquid suspension, such that the composition of the liquid suspension comprises a working fluid and a composition of nanomaterials comprised of exfoliated graphene, graphene oxide platelets, single-walled and multi-walled nanotubes, nanofibers, micro-fibrillated cellulose, nano-fibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, metal particles, quantum dots, ceramic particles, biomaterial particles, chitins, such as chitosan, nanowires, such as silicon, carbon, germanium and other nanowires, nanoclays, such as montmorillonite, bentonite, kaolinite, hectorite and halloysite, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, cellular materials, hemoglobin, DNA, RNA, liposomes, ribosomes, viruses, bacteria, marking and tagging agents or combinations of any of these;   depositing the liquid suspension on the porous substrate at a specific location, locally, on the porous substrate;   drawing the liquid suspension through the porous substrate depositing the composition of nanomaterials, locally, at the specific location;   repeating the steps of controlling, depositing and drawing at a plurality of the specific locations, locally, on the porous substrate such that a plurality layers of the sheet are formed, and each of the plurality of layers has a selectively different composition than other layers of the plurality of layers at specific locations within each of the plurality of layers.