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Project
Objectives
The objective of PROFORM
is: to develop the next generation of process tools and methodologies
for the design and production of products containing nano-particles in
a highly dispersed, functional and stable state.
This will require
the development of fundamental understanding of phenomena related to the
processing of nano-particles including micro-, meso- and macro- scale
hydrodynamics, colloidal stability and manipulations of the particle size
distribution and medium composition. Thus, the physical properties of
dispersed nano-particle products can be improved and waste reduced for
economic and environmental savings.
In order to meet this
objective, the project will need to:
- improve our understanding
of the formulation technology for a range of nano-particles, including
identifying the mechanisms of the incorporation, dispersion and stabilisation
of nano-particles in a liquid medium
- develop more targeted
methods for the preparation and production of ultra-fine suspension
of nano-particles
- develop new process
design tools and methods for processing nano-particles, such that they
retain their key features for minimum processing.
These will be achieved
by undertaking the following work:
- identification
and adoption of appropriate methods for the characterisation of relevant
physical properties of particles (e.g. wettability, porosity, particle
shape, size distribution, density), liquid phase (rheology) and dispersion
(e.g. particle size distribution, rheology and morphology)
- characterisation
of the relevant physical properties of the particles, liquids and dispersions
- study of the implications
of changing the composition of the liquid phase
- investigation of
the incorporation and dispersion of nano-particles into a liquid, taking
into account the relevant particle and liquid physical properties, mechanical
phenomena and fluid dynamics within the processing devices
- identification
of criteria to determine the performance of different process devices
and the investigation of these
- development of
a numerical modesl that describe the relevant fluid dynamics related
parameters as well as solid and liquid phase properties
- development of
design methods for the incorporation, dispersion and stabilisation of
nano-particles based on fundamental understanding.
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