Composite Metal Oxide Particles

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION

NineSigma, representing a multi-billion dollar chemical manufacturing company, invites proposals for developing a technology to prepare discrete composite metal oxide microparticles composed of attachments of individual metal oxide nanoparticles to a larger metal oxide microparticle in an efficient and effective manner.

BACKGROUND

Both microparticles (200-400 nm) and nanoparticles (50-200 nm in cross section) are routinely prepared with silica, alumina, or other metal oxides incorporating similar surface structures. Our client is seeking particles featuring a hybrid structure that is composed of a plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles attached to a microparticle as illustrated above. Note that the cartoons in this RFP are meant to illustrate the general structural representation desired – the shapes are not necessarily spherical.  They are looking for an efficient process to generate such structures that would be applicable in large quantities in a high-volume manufacturing facility. The process should provide a means of robust deposition of metal oxide nanoparticles onto larger metal oxide microparticles resulting in stable dispersions in water or organic solvents.
 
Such composite particles would allow our client to design products that enable superior end-use performance. However, to date our client’s internal research has not achieved structures that meet their performance goals. They are looking outside for expertise in generating such structures that could complement their research staff’s efforts in this area.
 

Key Success Criteria

The successful technology will:
• Provide a robust attachment process that generates depositions of metal oxide nanoparticles to larger, metal oxide microparticles (illustrated as discrete composite particles, labeled ABn in the scheme below) that are stable in their dispersing medium.
• Be easily dispersible in either water or organic liquids (preferably water).
• Generate a number ratio of smaller to larger particles in the composite ranging from 5-10. This ensures that the majority of the surface area of the microparticle is covered by the smaller nanoparticles.
• Result in a cost effective process.
 
Anticipated Project Phases or Project Plan
Phase 1 – Proof of concept resulting in the supply 10 kg of composite material for our client’s laboratory evaluation. Client will supply the microparticles and may supply or specify the nanoparticles if required.
 
Phase 2 – Joint scale-up, potential licensing, supplier relationship etc.
 
Criteria for Moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2 -- successful development and delivery of materials based on the criteria noted above
 

POSSlBLE APPROACHES

Possible approaches might include, but are not limited to:
• A wet process (preferably waterborne)
• A dry mechanical (physical) process
• Chemical surface modification strategies
• Strategies using intermediaries such as polymeric materials
 
A schematic of one embodiment of this process is shown below (e.g., nanoparticles with affinity sites for the microparticle surfaces).

The following approaches are not of interest:
• DNA-based recognition methods
• Methods involving globally regulated ingredients (e.g. carcinogenic mat

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Proposed

Composite Metal Oxide Particles

Proposed Technical Approach

This respond is based on the methode filed 2012-06-26 07:39:19 at http://www.scireg.org/rus/files/file/455 non-confidentially described as "A method nanoparticles production, in which said nanoparticles are grown by combining in a suitable atmosphere of calibrated drops pairs produced from two different solutions containing the required components, as well as several kinds of devices to implement the method mentioned by continuous generation and two by two association of large (up to a billion or more pairs per second) drops pairs from the initial solutions, and to build additional layers on the nanoparticles along with the collection of the latter" and illustrated by the following picture:

The method is based on strictly one-with-one droplets merger (due to specific physical mechanism, the essence of which may be disclosed after NDA conclusion) of two different colloidal solutions containing (in the required proportions) wanted micro- and nano-particles. The solvents they may be the same or different (for percolation desired reaction association), they also may contain (possibly) the additives required(such as, for example, an organic glue solidifying with solvent evaporation).
Two firms (one from Europe, the other - from the USA) - manufacturers of the required equipment could not, unfortunately, provide me with sufficient information on the price, performance and other characteristics of the equipment allowing carefully calculate the percentage of inaccurate drops association (AnBm or An) due to the lack of precise information on the composition and size of the particles used and acceptable composition of solvents.

Rough estimation based on contact with one of these firms three years ago, gives for the equipment cost a value of about $100,000 and its performance to 10¹² drops pairs per second, which corresponds to an upper estimation for the performance of equipment up to 140g of composite particles per hour with "purity percentage" (of AnB ) more than 90%.
 

Proposed Budget

$150000 - about 2/3 for equippment and 1/3 - salary for 2-3 persons

Proposal Team Experience

(Viber, Telegram)

E-mail

   Last modified         26.06.22