Energy Industry

Energy Applications Through Nanotechnology

Microfluidizer® Processors in the Energy Industry

Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have helped bring new and more efficient energy applications to life, including fuel cells, batteries, photovoltaic (PV) cells and biodiesel. Microfluidics is proud to be the technology of choice used by several leading researchers and manufacturers as they develop innovative energy products to help change the world.

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Nanotech solutions

Today’s researchers are looking to develop high-performance materials, and Microfluidizer® processors offer a unique solution. Our technology meets the current needs of the energy industry with:

  • Highest shear and impact, which produces the smallest, ultrafine particle sizes
  • Highest mixing intensity at a microliter scale to create uniform dispersions, which leads to enhanced performance
  • The ability to handle challenging materials such as viscous materials
  • Can accommodate a wide range of quantities, especially for more expensive materials
  • Highly efficient, high-yield recovery of cell-derived biomolecules
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Dispersions for Energy Applications

Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are used primarily in automotive, stationary power and mobile consumer products to improve performance and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. They consist of two electrodes coated by an “ink” which contains the catalyst (and commonly carbon) that are separated by an electrolyte (can be liquid or solid, e.g. a membrane). Fuel cells offer an efficient way to generate energy while emitting minimal greenhouse gases.

Over the past 30 years, Microfluidics has consistently demonstrated the ability to process materials used in the production of fuel cell components and similar materials (e.g. inkjet inks) with a highly uniform, often submicron particle size. Few homogenizer technologies can approach the results achieved by Microfluidizer® technology.

Microfluidizer® processors help manufacturers of catalyst or electrode materials to:

  • Reduce the amount of catalyst needed
  • Improve efficiency with a 10 nm dispersed coating for metal plates
  • Create uniform electrodes for easier and more consistent post-processing
  • Scale up from lab to full industrial production — guaranteed

Photovoltaic Cells

Photovoltaic or solar cells use light as their energy source and transform it into electrical energy. They are composed of multiple layers of material that work together to generate electricity. Microfluidizer® processors add efficiency throughout the photovoltaic energy production chain, from capturing light to converting and conducting it.

Solar cells utilize nanomaterials where small particle sizes and good homogeneity are crucial. One such material commonly used in photovoltaic cells is carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Microfluidizer® processors are ideally suited for the deagglomeration, purification and dispersion of CNTs; along with nanosuspensions of other solid materials.

The Microfluidizer® technology with its fixed-geometry Interaction Chambers, has been proven to successfully create Nano dispersions with great uniformity, repeatability and guaranteed scalability.