System and method of producing a composite product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017271652-A1
Application number	US-201715452500-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of producing a composite product is provided. The method includes providing a fluidized bed of metal oxide particles in a fluidized bed reactor, providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor, providing a carbon source in the fluidized bed reactor for growing carbon nanotubes, growing carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor, and collecting a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of producing a composite product, said method comprising:
fluidizing an amount of metal oxide particles within a fluidized bed reactor; providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor; providing a carbon source to a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor; growing carbon nanotubes in the a carbon nanotube growth zone; and providing a flow of carrier gas to the fluidized bed reactor and carrying a composite product comprising the carbon nanotubes and the metal oxide particles through the fluidized bed reactor.

2 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein carrying the composite product through the fluidized bed reactor comprises transporting the composite product towards an outlet defined near a top of the fluidized bed reactor.

3 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising receiving the composite product discharged from the outlet of the fluidized bed reactor in a collection vessel.

4 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least one of continuously or periodically replenishing the metal oxide particles in the fluidized bed reactor.

5 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising heating the carbon nanotube growth zone to a temperature greater than about 450° C. to less than about 850° C.

6 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein providing the catalyst or catalyst precursor comprises injecting the catalyst or catalyst precursor from a bottom portion of the fluidized bed reactor and into the nanotube growth zone.

7 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein providing the carrier gas comprises discharging a flow of the carrier gas into the nanotube growth zone and transporting the catalyst through the nanotube growth zone toward the fluidized bed reactor outlet.

8 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor comprises a gas distributor positioned below the nanotube growth zone, and fluidizing the metal oxide particles within the fluidized bed reactor comprises feeding a fluidizing gas through the gas distributor at a rate sufficient to fluidize the metal oxide particles within the fluidized bed reactor.

9 . A system for use in producing a composite product, said system comprising:
a fluidized bed reactor comprising an amount of metal oxide particles contained therein, the fluidized bed including an outlet; a catalyst or catalyst precursor source in fluid communication with the fluidized bed reactor to provide a flow of catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor; and a carrier gas source in fluid communication with the fluidized bed to carry a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes grown in the fluidized bed.

10 . The system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising a first injector coupled in fluid communication with the catalyst or catalyst precursor source, and extending such that the flow of the catalyst or catalyst precursor is discharged into a nanotube growth zone in the fluidized bed reactor.

11 . The system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising a second injector coupled in fluid communication with the carrier gas source, and extending such that the flow of carrier gas discharged therefrom transports the carbon nanotubes grown in the nanotube growth zone toward the outlet.

12 . The system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising a metal oxide particle source coupled in operable communication with an inlet of the fluidized bed reactor, the metal oxide particle source is configured to selectively replenish the metal oxide particles in the fluidized bed reactor.

13 . The system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising a collection vessel coupled in fluid communication with the outlet of the fluidized bed reactor, the collection vessel configured to receive the composite product discharged from the outlet.

14 . A method of making a composite product comprising:
providing a fluidized bed of metal oxide particles in a fluidized bed reactor; providing a catalyst or catalyst precursor in the fluidized bed reactor; providing a carbon source in the fluidized bed reactor for growing carbon nanotubes; growing carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube growth zone of the fluidized bed reactor; and collecting a composite product comprising metal oxide particles and carbon nanotubes.

15 . The method in accordance with claim 14 wherein the fluidized bed reactor includes a top and a bottom, a gas distributor is positioned below the nanotube growth zone near the bottom of the fluidized bed reactor, and the metal oxide particles are fluidized in the fluidized bed reactor by feeding a fluidizing gas through the gas distributor at a rate sufficient to fluidize the metal oxide particles within the fluidized bed reactor.

16 . The method in accordance with claim 14 wherein the catalyst or catalyst precursor comprises ferrocene.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 14 wherein the catalyst precursor comprises ferrocene and an alcohol, and wherein the alcohol is the carbon source for growing carbon nanotubes.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 14 wherein providing the catalyst or catalyst precursor comprises injecting the catalyst or catalyst precursor via an inlet to the fluidized bed reactor, wherein the inlet is positioned below the nanotube growth zone and above the gas distributor.

19 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising providing a carrier gas into the nanotube growth zone for transporting the carbon nanotubes through the nanotube growth zone toward an outlet of the fluidized bed.

20 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the carrier gas includes the carbon source for growing carbon nanotubes.

21 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising receiving the composite product discharged from an outlet of the fluidized bed reactor in a collection vessel.

22 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising heating the carbon nanotube growth zone to a temperature greater than about 1000° C.

23 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide particles are mixed metal oxide particles, and the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes.

24 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide particles are lithiated mixed metal oxide particles, and the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes.

25 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide particles are lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide particles, and the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nanotubes.

26 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is heated to a temperature of greater than about 450° C. to less than about 850° C.

27 . The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the fluidized bed reactor is heated to a temperature of greater than about 800° C.

28 . An electrode comprising the composite product made in accordance with claim 1 .

29 . A cathode comprising the composite product made in accordance with claim 1 .

30 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the metal oxide particles are mixed metal oxide particles, and the carbon nanotubes are single-wall carbon nan

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Nanosynthesis Plus Ltd

Inventors

• Harutyunyan Avetik
• Pierce Neal
• Pigos Elena Mora

Classifications

• C01P2002/88

  by thermal analysis data, e.g. TGA, DTA, DSC · CPC title

• C01P2002/72

  by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• C01G53/44

  containing manganese · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title