Dear All,
Someone posted this question to me privately but thought you might all benefit from the answer:
Question:
Is it difficult to adjust the size of the nanoparticles you make, for example to go from 90 microns to 175 microns? Is it the same method to produce nanoparticles from titanium or silicon, or is it almost the same?
Est-ce que c’est difficile d’ajuster la grosseur des nanoparticules que vous fabriquez?Exemple pour passer de 90 microns 175 microns? Que ce soit pour produire des nanoparticules partir du titan ou du silicium est-ce la mme mthode ou presque?
Answer:
Thank you for your question. There is in fact a significant size difference between the titanium powders and the silicon powders we produce. The titanium powders we produce are of the order of several micrometers (1µm or millionth of a meter or 10-6 m). They are said to be micropowders (referring to the fact that they are several micrometers in size). Indeed, the titanium powders used in 3D printers are of the order of about 15 to 100 µm. The required particle size range (e.g. 15 to 45 µm) depends on the type of printer used. For comparison, the diameter of a hair is in the range of 50 to 100 µm. In addition, the silicon powders we produce are of the order of the nanometer (1nm or billionth of a meter or 10-9 m). They are called nanopowders. We can therefore say that the silicon powders we produce are about a thousand times smaller than titanium powders. To come back to your questions. 1) Q: Is it possible to adjust the particle size? A: Yes, we can adjust the process parameters to influence the particle size. 2) Q: Is it the same method to produce titanium powders and silicon powders? A: The answer is no and the two processes are the subject of separate patent applications. I hope that these explanations will have provided some clarification. As always, do not hesitate to ask your questions on this forum.