High Volume Production (HVP) Nanostructured Materials including Carbon, Ceramic, and other Materials

This invention describes new, innovative methods and technical approaches for the high volume production (HVP) of nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanostructured materials. The HVP methods described may be used to produce carbon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanostructured materials, silicon nanoparticles, silicon nanofibers, silicon-based nanostructured materials, and rare earth or metal-doped silicon nanostructured materials. It also describes a method of selectively separating and collecting certain size and morphologies of nanostructured materials, and a method to simply and affordably manufacture components of meaningful size from nanostructured precursor materials in a size and quantity that will allow them to be useful and commercially viable. Carbon nanotubes, silicon and other material nanostructures offer promise for super strong materials and extremely small, fast computer chips, while the doped silica nanofibers offer exciting new approaches for communication interconnects. Although specific nanomaterials are discussed, by way of description and examples, it is not the intention to restrict the scope of this invention to these few materials or limit the application of the invention to these few materials.

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