Grantee Research Project Results
Combinatorial Screening of High-Efficiency Catalysts for Large-Scale Production of Pyrolytic Carbon Nanotubes
EPA Contract Number: 68D02028Title: Combinatorial Screening of High-Efficiency Catalysts for Large-Scale Production of Pyrolytic Carbon Nanotubes
Investigators: Xiang, Xiao Dong
Current Investigators: Sun, Ted X.
Small Business: Intematix Corporation
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: April 1, 2002 through September 1, 2002
Project Amount: $69,957
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2002) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Nanotechnology , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Plastic composite materials are increasingly used in manufacturing industries (e.g., in automobile components). They need to be coated for protective and decorative purposes. It has been found that electrostatic painting offers about four times higher paint transfer efficiency over regular spray painting. This will bring significant reduction of paint usage and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission in the automobile manufacturing process. For this process to work, a conductive plastic with appropriate fillers is required. Of the conductive fillers available, carbon nanotube has been proven the only viable filler to make strong and conductive plastic parts; however, its prohibitively high cost has deterred broad commercial applications. In this project, Intematix Corporation will address this critical issue using the pyrolytic production of nanotube. The key to reaching the target cost of $100/kg using the pyrolytic method is the highly efficient catalyst. Existing catalysts are not efficient in reaching the target cost.Intematix Corporation will leverage its unique expertise in high-throughput screening technologies to develop highly efficient catalyst compositions that will deliver high-quality nanotube at the lowest possible cost in Phase I. This will pave the way for broad applications of carbon nanotube as fillers in conductive plastic part manufacturing. Preliminary results indicate that the high-throughput screening technologies are dramatically faster and more effective in large-scale screening and identification of promising catalyst leads than the conventional research and development approach.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 4 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, combinatorial screening, high-efficiency catalysts, pyrolytic carbon nanotube, paint, electrostatic painting, volatile organic compounds, VOCs, emissions, catalyst., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, particulate matter, Environmental Chemistry, indoor air, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Environmental Engineering, particulates, indoor air pollution control, ambient air quality, emission control strategies, aerosol particles, indoor VOC compounds, filtration, pollution control technologies, pyrolytic carbon nanotubes, ambient air, carbon nanotubes, workplace, air pollution, catalysts, emissions, particle pollutants, environmental contaminants, nanoparticles, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), indoor air quality, nanotube, air quality, aerosols, ambient pollution control, nanoporous filtersProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
Low-Cost Catalytic Production of High-Quality Carbon Nanotube for Advanced Conductive Composites | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.