SBIR PHASE I: Environmentally Conscious Large Scale Production of Fullerene

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将以生态友好的方式解决大规模生产富勒烯材料的问题。目前，富勒烯的制造是基于从蒸发的石墨棒中合成烟尘，并将烟尘溶解在有机化学溶剂中以提取富勒烯。煤烟的合成是能源密集型的，不适合大规模生产，而有机化学过程是环境有毒和危险的。该项目将从含富勒烯的煤中提取富勒烯。该过程将包括(i)脱矿和消除煤中的杂质和（ii）通过升华提取富勒烯。如果被证明是一种经济和生态友好的工艺，它可以商业化，以满足目前对富勒烯材料日益增长的需求。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address large scale production of fullerene materials in an ecologically benign manner. Presently, fullerene manufacturing is based on a synthesis of soot from an evaporated graphite rod and a dissolution of the soot in an organic chemical solvent to extract the fullerene. Synthesis of soot is energy intensive and impractical for large scale production, while the organic chemical process is environmentally toxic and hazardous. This project will extract fullerene from fullerene-containg coal. The process will involve (i) demineralization and elimination of impurities in the coal and (ii) extraction of fullerenes by sublimation. If proven feasible as an economical and ecologically benign process, it could be commercialized to meet the presently growing demand for fullerene materials.