Installation and method with improved performance for forming a compact film of particles on the surface of a carrier fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962729-B2
Application number	US-201415027336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An installation for forming a compact film of particles on a surface of a carrier fluid, including a zone acting as a reservoir of carrier fluid, an inclined ramp, a particle storage and transfer zone, a mechanism moving the carrier fluid, a mechanism for dispensing the particles in solution, configured to dispense the particles on the surface of the carrier fluid in the zone acting as a reservoir, and a structure for deflecting the particles configured to favor, along a transverse direction of the installation, spreading of the particles at the outlet of the zone acting as a reservoir. The structure for deflecting particles is permeable to the carrier fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An installation for forming a compact film of particles on a surface of a carrier fluid, the installation comprising:
a zone acting as a carrier fluid reservoir;
an inclined ramp situated extending from the zone acting as a reservoir and whereon the particles can circulate gravitationally;
a particle storage and transfer zone situated extending from the inclined ramp;
means for moving the carrier fluid intended to make the carrier fluid circulate from the zone acting as a reservoir to the particle storage and transfer zone, via the inclined ramp;
means for dispensing the particles in solution, configured to dispense the particles on the surface of the carrier fluid in the zone acting as a reservoir; and
a structure for deflecting particles, passing through the surface of the carrier fluid into the zone acting as a reservoir, the structure positioned downstream from the means for dispensing particles along a main flow direction of the carrier fluid from the zone acting as a reservoir to the particle storage and transfer zone, via the inclined ramp, the structure configured to favor, along a transverse direction of the installation parallel with the surface of the carrier fluid and orthogonal to a main flow direction, spreading of the particles at an outlet of the zone acting as a reservoir;
wherein the structure for deflecting particles is permeable to the carrier fluid.

2. An installation according to claim 1 , wherein the structure for deflecting particles includes, in alternation, between a first end and a second opposite end in the transverse direction, obstacles and spaces allowing passage of the carrier fluid.

3. An installation according to claim 2 , wherein the obstacles are rods, or screw rods screwed onto a support plate.

4. An installation according to claim 2 , wherein the obstacles are fitted with an interval of approximately 1 to 10 mm, and the structure for deflecting particles has, on the surface of the carrier fluid, an open area ratio of 0.05 to 0.9.

5. An installation according to claim 2 , wherein the obstacles are made of hydrophobic material, polymer, hydrophilic material, or metallic material.

6. An installation according to claim 2 , wherein the obstacles have a width between 1 and 9.5 mm.

7. An installation according to claim 1 , wherein the structure for deflecting particles extends all along the carrier fluid, along the transverse direction of the installation.

8. An installation according to claim 1 , wherein the structure for deflecting particles has an overall shape defining at least one convex portion viewed from the outlet of the zone acting as a reservoir.

9. An installation according to claim 8 , wherein the structure for deflecting particles has a parabolic, circular, V-shaped, or sinusoidal overall shape.

10. An installation according to claim 1 , wherein the zone acting as a reservoir includes, downstream from the structure for deflecting particles, at least one compartment defined by a wall permeable to the carrier fluid, a surface whereof is traversed by the wall.

11. An installation according to claim 10 , wherein the wall is embodied by alternating obstacles and spaces allowing the passage of the carrier fluid.

12. An installation according to claim 10 , wherein each compartment has, on the surface of the carrier fluid, a surface area between 0.5 and 1000 cm 2 .

13. An installation according to claim 1 , further comprising a substrate for depositing the compact film of particles, the substrate facing an outlet of particles from the storage and transfer zone.

14. An installation according to claim 13 , configured to carry out deposition of the compact film of particles on a conveyed substrate, the substrate being flexible or rigid.

15. An installation according to claim 1 , further comprising, arranged at a junction between the zone acting as a reservoir and the inclined ramp, means for raising a level of the carrier fluid by capillary effect.

16. A method for forming a compact film of particles on a surface of a carrier fluid, using an installation according to claim 1 , comprising moving the carrier fluid to make the carrier fluid circulate from the zone acting as a reservoir to the particle storage and transfer zone, via the inclined ramp, and dispensing the particles in solution on the surface of the moving carrier fluid, in the zone acting as a reservoir, the moving the carrier fluid being carried out to make the carrier fluid circulate through the permeable structure for deflecting particles, arranged upstream from the means for dispensing the particles.

17. A method according to claim 16 , used for forming a film of particles having a size between 1 nm and 500 μm.

18. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the carrier fluid is deionized water, and the particles are found in solution in a solvent having a surface tension less than that of deionized water.

19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the solvent is n-butanol, methanol, chloroform, or a mixture of at least two thereof.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Dellea Olivier
• Fugier Pascal

Classifications

• B05D1/204 Primary

  LB techniques · CPC title

• B05D5/08

  to obtain an anti-friction or anti-adhesive surface (rendering particulate materials free-flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic B01J2/30) · CPC title

• B05D2518/10

  Silicon-containing polymers · CPC title