Method of Electrospun Mesoporous Molecular Sieve Fibers

University of Texas at Dallas
posted on 08/28/2009

Invention:

This invention is a process for electrostatically spinning and collecting nonwoven molecular sieve and/or metal oxide fibers using high-voltage electrical power for a variety of commercial applications including filtration and coatings.

Background:

Electrospinning is a fast, simple and efficient technique for making fibers. During this process, a high voltage electric current is applied to a solution which causes of a jet of that solution to form. The jet sprays and divides into many fibers which divide and redivide to form a network of fibers.

This technology uses that method to makes dense crystalline molecular sieve fibers with nanometer to micrometer diameters. Before this invention, these types of fibers had not been made using electrospinning.

Mesoporous fibers have commercial applications in catalysis, gas separation membranes and air filters. Mesoporous metal oxide fibers can be used in high surface area conducting materials for electronic devices. However, these fibers are most commercially viable with nanometer to micrometer diameters.

At that size, the spinning and collecting of these fibers is a critical issue. With this novel process, the fibers are collected on a removable sheath. Fibers of mesoporous molecular sieve DAM-1 (Dallas Amorphous Materials-1) and mesoporous metal oxides have never been spun before using this technique.

Benefits:

· Makes dense crystalline molecular sieve fibers with nanometer to micrometer diameters

· Is a fast, simple and efficient technique

· Makes fibers with a thickness between 400 nm to 1 µm

· Makes fibers stable to high temperature calcinations

IP Status:

· Patent Pending

Inventors: