SBIR Phase I: The Development of a Solar Energy Thermal Process for Producing Fullerenes

9561291王这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将调查利用聚光太阳能连续蒸发各种形式的碳的技术可行性，并确定使用拟议的太阳能热法生产富勒烯的经济可行性。聚光太阳能是实现超高热流密度的一种环境友好的新方法。拟议的太阳能热工艺将为需要集中高热的合成工艺提供无污染的能源供应。富勒烯(巴克球)的生产需要非常高的温度才能使碳蒸发并凝聚C60、C70和其他复杂的碳分子。富勒烯目前是使用昂贵的石墨棒之间的电弧生产的。这一过程非常耗能，发电、石墨棒生产和与此过程相关的富勒烯的有机溶剂提取都会产生废物。集中的太阳能是蒸发各种形式的碳的理想选择，在某些情况下，碳是合成富勒烯的废物。这一工艺的可行性已经在批量基础上得到了证明，并且有可能比现有的电弧法经济得多。这一第一阶段项目的主要好处将是建立一个无害环境的流程，利用废碳和太阳能经济地生产富勒烯，以满足氢化物电池、燃料电池、氢气、氧气和碳氢化合物气体储存以及作为沉积钻石的前体的富勒烯或电极的预计需求。受让人是最大的富勒烯生产商，并计划在1998年将产量扩大到一吨/天，以实现富勒烯的既定应用。

9561291 Wang This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project will investigate the technical feasibility of using concentrated solar energy to continuously evaporate waste forms of carbon and establish the economic feasibility of producing fullerenes using the proposed solar-thermal process. Concentrated solar energy is an environmentally benign and novel method for achieving ultra-high heat fluxes. The proposed solar-thermal process would provide a pollution-free supply of energy for synthesis processes that require focused intense heat. The production of fullerenes (buckyballs) requires very high temperatures to vaporize carbon and condense C60, C70, and other complex carbon molecules. Fullerenes are currently produced using an electric arc between expensive graphite rods. This process is quite energy intensive and the electrical generation, graphite rod production and organic solvent extraction of the fullerenes associated with this process contribute to the production of waste. Concentrated solar energy is ideal for vaporizing a variety of forms of carbon_which is some cases is a waste product_for the synthesis of fullerenes. The feasibility of this process has been demonstrated on a batch basis and has the potential of being significantly more economical than the existing electric arc process. The primary benefit of this Phase I project will be to establish an environmentally benign process of utilizing waste carbon and solar energy to economically produce fullerenes to meet the projected demand of fullerenes dor electrodes in hydride batteries, fuel cells, gas storage of hydrogen, oxygen and hydrocarbons and as precursors to deposit diamond. The grantee is the largest producer of fullerenes and plans to scale production to one ton/day in 1998 for an established application of fullerenes.