Nano/micro particle assembly characterization system for advanced material and mineral research

在这里，我们建议收购最先进的纳米颗粒表征系统，迫切需要推进先进材料和关键矿物分离的战略研究。我们的研究活动在太阳能转换和储存、增材制造和矿产资源的可持续加工方面得到了应用。这些研究活动吸引了大量的资金和工业支持，并涉及下一代年轻研究材料工程师的培训。在我们的大多数研究活动中，我们从合成、分离、沉积或更一般的加工角度处理纳米和微观尺度上的颗粒，对其进行广泛的表征是获得最佳结果的基础。在大多数情况下，这些颗粒需要在悬浮液中处理或表征，因为除了尺寸以外的其他性质会影响它们的相互作用（分散与聚集）、流变性、沉降或堆积行为。因此，在粒度分布的同时测量zeta电位/迁移率等特性变得至关重要。但在许多情况下，粒子组合是通过应用聚合物添加剂来控制的，如表面活性剂、粘合剂、流变性剂等，在解释其行为和优化其使用方面，根据分子量、大小等对其进行表征是非常必要的。所要求的系统将允许以最全面和最省时的方式完成所有这些鉴定任务，从而极大地推动在对加拿大社会和经济非常重要的研究领域加速发现和培训。

Here we propose the acquisition of a state-of-the-art nanoparticle characterization system urgently needed to advance strategic research on advanced materials and critical mineral separations. Our research activities find application in solar energy conversion and storage, additive manufacturing, and the sustainable processing of mineral resources. These research activities attract strong funding and industrial support and involve the training of next generation young research materials engineers. In most of our research activities, we deal with particles at the nano and micro scale either from a synthesis, separation, deposition, or more generally processing standpoint, extensive characterization of which is primordial in achieving optimum results. These particles in most of the cases need to be processed or characterized in suspension, as such properties other than size enter into the picture that influence their interaction (dispersion vs. aggregation), rheology, settling, or packing behavior. Thus, measurement of properties like zeta potential/mobility simultaneously with particle size distributions becomes critical. But in many instances particle assemblages are manipulated via the application of polymeric additives, like surfactants, binders, rheological agents and so on, characterization of which in terms of molecular weight, size etc. becomes highly desirable in interpreting their behavior and optimizing their use. The requested system will allow to accomplish all these characterization tasks in a most comprehensive and time-efficient way thus providing a great impetus in accelerating discovery and training in research areas of great importance to Canadian society and economy.