Deagglomeration

Graphene

Microfluidizer^® technology has been extensively used to process both of the 2D and 3D allotropes of carbon and other types nanomaterials.

Two-dimensional (2D) topological materials are currently attracting rapid growing research interests due to their unique properties. The new “wonder” material, graphene, is the mostly studied and opened up huge application potentials. Microfluidizer^® technology has been successfully used to produce few layer graphene (FLG) through liquid exfoliation of graphite.

In a recent article published by Cambridge Graphene Center, the uniform high shear generated by the Microfluidizer^® processor achieved 100% exfoliation yield with much higher concentrations. The produced FLG was subsequently formulated as highly conductive printable inks. The entire process was water-based without using harsh chemicals which makes it more environmental friendly.

SEM images of blade coated ink formulations comprising (a) starting graphite, (b) after 1 cycle, (c) after 5 cycles, and (d) after 100 cycles. (Source: P.G. Karagiannidis, et. al. Microfluidization of graphite and formulation of graphene-based conductive inks, ACS Nano 2017, 11, 2742-2755 DOI: 10.1021/ acsnano.6b07735

Carbon Nanotubes

The example of processing 3D carbon nanomaterials is de-agglomeration and dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Many studies have been performed using Microfluidizer^® homogenizing processor for dispersing either single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) or multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs). Our processor can successfully disperse and create stable suspensions of SWNTs and/or MWNTs in various liquid media including polymer resins, organic solvents or simply water. The nanotubes are largely de-agglomerated and dispersed uniformly — in a single pass. During additional passes, length reduction can be controlled based on processing conditions. The dispersion can enhance electrical conductivity as well.

Cellulose

Microfluidizer^® technology has been widely studied for the de-fibrillation of cellulose. The results prove that wood cellulose and non-wood fiber samples can be successfully de-fibrillated under several processing conditions. In a recent published study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were prepared by using a Microfluidizer^® processor to disintegrate aqueous pulp dispersion. The produced CNFs were then mixed with nanoclay disperions to obtain composite dispersions. The steady-shear and viscoelastic properties were evaluated and found to be affected by CNF content and interactions between CNFs and clay particles.
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