Continuous Distillation of Fullerenes

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This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project focuses on developing a system for the efficient separation of the different forms of fullerene carbon. Fullerenes, a recently discovered class of materials including C60, C70, C76, and other all-carbon molecules, are a subject of intense research interest and have potential application in electronic, optics, and battery technology. Unfortunately, the only available method for purification of these materials is chromatography, an inefficient, batch process that has led to very high prices for purified materials. TDA Research (TDA) proposes to develop an efficient process for the continuous separation of fullerenes by fractional sublimation. Preliminary calculations have demonstrated the potential efficiency of this process, and the PI has previous experience with a batch-scale sublimation process for fullerene purification. Phase I will complete the mathematical simulation of the process, and design, build, and test the apparatus. Using experimental data, TDA will estimate the cost of purified fullerenes in large scale production. Phase II, if warranted, will design and construct a larger scale apparatus for the purification of fullerenes. Commercial sales of research quantities of purified fullerenes should begin in Phase I, because the Phase I apparatus may well be the most efficient producer of purified higher fullerenes (those with greater than 70 carbon atoms) in existence.