Fabrication of agglomerate-free nanopowders by hydrothermal chemical processing

Abstract

A chemical processing technique for the fabrication of nanopowders has been developed. The route is based on precipitation processes in solutions, either within aqueous droplets in microemulsions in the presence of surface modifiers like surfactants or by direct precipitation in solutions in the presence of theses surface modifiers or small organic molecules directly bonded to the particle surface. In order to obtain well crystallized or densified particles, a continuous flow hydrothermal process has been developed which allows the fabrication of agglomerate free surface modified nanopowders. The surface modification provides a full redispersibility after drying and permits a water-based processing. Nanoparticles preparation for ZrO2, ITO and ATO by this route are described.