Apparatus and method for making spherical catalyst beads
View Patent ↗Apparatuses and methods for making uniform spherical beads are disclosed. Specifically, the uniform spherical beads are made by dropping droplets on a droplet rolling part, creating beads by rolling the droplets on the droplet rolling part from one spot to another spot, and collecting the beads by a beads collector.
1. An apparatus for making spherical beads from a liquid suspension, comprising:
a droplet generating device for generating droplets, comprising a fluid reservoir and a tip;
a droplet rolling part comprising at least one omniphobic-coated plate and at least one heating element, wherein the droplet rolling part is heated to a temperature between about 80° C. and about 120° C., the droplet rolling part has a funnel design or spiral design; and
a beads collector comprising at least one heating element, wherein the beads collector is heated to a temperature between 80° C. and 120° C.;
wherein the droplets move from one spot of the droplet rolling part to another spot before reaching the beads collector.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the size of the droplets is adjustable by adjusting the volume of the liquid suspension in the droplet generating device.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one omniphobic-coated plate comprises a super-omniphobic coating layer on the surface.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one omniphobic-coated plate is superhydrophobic and superoleophobic.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the beads collector comprises a omniphobic-coated plate for collecting spherical beads.
6. A method of making spherical beads from a liquid suspension, comprising:
supplying droplets of a liquid suspension;
dropping the droplets on one spot of a droplet rolling part, wherein the droplet rolling part comprises at least one omniphobic-coated plate and at least one heating element;
creating beads by rolling the droplets on the droplet rolling part from one spot to another spot, wherein the droplet rolling part is heated to a temperature between about 80° C. and about 120° C., the droplet rolling part has a funnel design or spiral design; and
collecting the beads by a beads collector comprising at least one heating element, wherein the beads collector is heated to a temperature between 80° C. and 120° C.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the beads have an average diameter in a range of 100 microns (μm) to 12 millimeters (mm).
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one omniphobic-coated plate comprises a super-omniphobic coating on the surface.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one omniphobic-coated plate is superhydrophobic and superoleophobic.