STTR Phase I: Novel Nanocoated Ferromagnetic Materials

这项小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将应用新型原子层沉积（ALD）技术，用于封装超细颗粒表面，用于航空航天应用和药物输送的某些先进材料。超细尺寸的铁颗粒将被氧化铝纳米涂层，提供50、25、12.5、6.3、3.2、1.6和0.8纳米的薄膜厚度。这种颗粒纳米涂层将在科罗拉多大学开发的流化床工艺中进行。所生产的颗粒将被表征为薄膜厚度，粒度分布，表面积和薄膜覆盖均匀性。他们将评估矫顽力，剩余磁化，磁滞损失和抗氧化性。制备纳米包覆铁颗粒填充环氧复合材料，并对其进行电磁传输/反射测试。在商业上，这种强大而通用的加工方法可以用陶瓷纳米层封装超细颗粒，相对于更传统的方法，提供无与伦比的涂层厚度控制（0.1 nm）。这种超薄的、化学结合的、在单个初级颗粒上的保形涂层提供了前所未有的材料机会。设想的应用包括用于微波透镜天线的人造电介质的新型铁磁材料，雷达横截面缩小材料和药物输送。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will apply novel Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology for the encapsulating of ultrafine particle surfaces used in certain advanced materials for aerospace applications and drug delivery. Ultrafine sized iron particles will be nanocoated with alumina providing film thicknesses of 50, 25, 12.5, 6.3, 3.2, 1.6, and 0.8 nanometers. The particle nanocoating will be carried out in a fluidized bed process developed at the University of Colorado. The produced particles will be characterized for film thickness, particle size distribution, surface area, and film coverage uniformity. They will be evaluated for coercivity, remanent magnetization, hysteresis loss, and oxidation resistance. Nanocoated iron particle filled epoxy composites will be fabricated and tested for electromagnetic transmission/reflection. Commercially, this powerful and versatile processing method can encapsulate ultrafine particles with ceramic nanolayers to offer unparalleled control of coating thickness ( 0.1 nm) relative to more conventional methods. Such ultrathin, chemically bonded, conformal coatings on individual primary particles provide for materials opportunities never before realized . Envisioned applications include novel ferromagnetic materials for artificial dielectrics for microwave lens antennas, radar crossection reduction materials, and drug delivery.