Innovation in Nano-Particle Manufacture

As a result of the Nano workshop held in July this year by the Polymer Sector of the Materials KTN, contact was made with a spin-out company from the University of Nottingham that has developed a unique reactor technology to allow unprecedented product control and flexibility in inorganic nanoparticle dispersion manufacture. The company, Promethean Particles works with customers to develop custom solutions for their inorganic nanoparticle applications.

Sandy Gordon, Business Development Manager at Promethean Particles is keen to promote the novel innovation method of nanoparticle production. The company utilizes an innovative reactor technology using a process known as continuous hydrothermal synthesis to produce inorganic nanoparticles suspended in water. The process utilises hot, pressurised water mixed with a metal salt solution such as iron nitrate and a reaction occurs (the salt is dehydrated) and nanoparticles form.

This synthetic approach has been known for many years but only as a one-pot, batch process, which is low yielding, inherently difficult to scale-up and which has product reproducibility issues. Promethean Particles’ innovation has been to make the process continuous which solves all these problems.

 The process inside the reactor is simple: Hot, pressurised water flows into the reactor from the top. Cold, salt solution is pumped in from the bottom. The two fluids mix efficiently at the interface created by the patent protected nozzle where the reaction occurs. Newly formed nanoparticles flow up and out of the reactor with the water. The aqueous dispersion of nanoparticles is then cooled and collected.

The synthesis is a superior method of forming nanoparticles due to the variety of materials that can be produced and the level of product control achievable.

Some of some material  produced include nanoparticles (titania and magnetite) adhered to the surface of PMMA beads for potential use as a master batch to give good dispersion throughout processed polymer. Differing morphologies of hydroxyapatites for potential tissue engineering applications are readily achievable and also Zirconia nanoparticles. All these materials have been manufactured in the pilot scale facility at Nottingham.

The company is growing in personnel and facilities and is looking to produce production facilities of 12 tonne/p.a. for an undisclosed tailored nanoparticle under license at a UK customer site.

Promethean Particles won the prestigious Lord Stafford Award in September 2009 – and the Business Innovation Award in the category for Materials & Devices from the UK NanoForum & Emerging Technologies.