Method and device for quantitative control of force in mechanochemical reactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10894243-B2
Application number	US-202016789643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 15, 2019
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

A mechanochemical reactor includes an outer shell. A first plate is slidably disposed within the tubular outer shell at a first end of the tubular outer shell and a second plate is slidably disposed within the tubular outer shell at a second end of the tubular outer shell, the second end being opposite the first end. A linearly-reciprocating mill is disposed within the tubular outer shell between the first plate and the second plate. A first electromagnet is operatively coupled to the first plate so as to establish a position and a holding force of the first plate within the tubular outer shell, and a second electromagnet is operatively coupled to the second plate so as to establish a position and a holding force of the second plate within the tubular outer shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanochemical reactor, comprising:
an outer shell;
a first plate slidably disposed within the outer shell at a first end of the outer shell;
a second plate slidably disposed within the outer shell at a second end of the outer shell, the second end being opposite the first end;
a linearly-reciprocating mill disposed within the outer shell between the first plate and the second plate;
a first electromagnet operatively coupled to the first plate so as to establish a position of the first plate within the outer shell; and
a second electromagnet operatively coupled to the second plate so as to establish a position of the second plate within the outer shell.

2. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , wherein the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are tunable so as to establish a maximum impact force supported by the first plate and the second plate, respectively.

3. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , wherein the mill comprises a ball shape.

4. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first force sensor coupled to the first plate; and
a second force sensor coupled to the second plate.

5. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 4 , comprising:
a first connecting rod that couples the first plate to the first force sensor; and
a second connecting rod that couples the second plate to the second force sensor.

6. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 4 , wherein the first force sensor and the second force sensor are strain-based force sensors.

7. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , comprising:
a first seal disposed around the first plate and contacting an inner face of the outer shell; and
a second seal disposed around the second plate and contacting the inner face of the outer shell.

8. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 7 , wherein the first seal and the second seal are fluoro-polymer o-rings.

9. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , wherein the mill is operatively coupled to a linearly-reciprocating rocker bar.

10. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor disposed in the outer shell.

11. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is tubular.

12. A mechanochemical reactor, comprising:
an outer shell;
a first plate slidably disposed within the outer shell at a first end of the outer shell;
a second plate slidably disposed within the outer shell at a second end of the outer shell, the second end being opposite the first end;
a linearly-reciprocating mill disposed within the outer shell between the first plate and the second plate;
a first force sensor coupled to the first plate; and
a second force sensor coupled to the second plate.

13. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 12 , further comprising a temperature sensor.

14. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 13 , wherein the temperature sensor is disposed in at least one of the linearly-reciprocating mill, the first plate, the second plate, or an inner surface of the outer shell.

15. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 12 , further comprising a shear sensor disposed in at least one of the first plate and the second plate.

16. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 12 , further comprising spectroscopy instruments disposed in a bottom interior aspect of the outer shell.

17. The mechanochemical reactor of claim 12 , further comprising a port formed in the outer shell for introduction of chemical constituents.

18. A method of inducing a mechanochemical reaction, the method comprising:
injecting reactants into a tubular outer shell between a first plate and a second plate;
tuning a first electromagnet that is operatively coupled to the first plate to establish a maximum contact force supported by the first plate;
tuning a second electromagnet that is operatively coupled to the second plate to establish a maximum contact force supported by the second plate;
reciprocating a mill in a linear fashion between the first plate and the second plate; and
measuring a contact force between the mill and at least one of the first plate and the second plate sufficient to induce a chemical reaction between the reactants.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the injecting comprises utilizing a port formed in the tubular outer shell.

20. The method of claim 18 , comprising measuring at least one of temperature, shear, spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction during the chemical reaction between the reactants.

Assignees

• Texas A & M Univ Sys

Inventors

• Felts Jonathan R
• Batteas James D
• Raghuraman Shivaranjan
• Reyes Thomas

Classifications

• B01J2219/00063

  of the reactants · CPC title

• B01J19/18 Primary

  Stationary reactors having moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B02C1/00 Primary

  Crushing or disintegrating by reciprocating members · CPC title

• B01J19/0013

  Controlling the temperature of the process · CPC title

• B01J2219/00162

  controlling the pressure · CPC title