TechBank | Silver Plated Halloysite
For biocidal filtration and other applications
Biocidal filters for military and civilian use. The plated halloysite nanotube is a nascent technology that demonstrates biological activity with facile assembly unlike other filter systems.
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Halloysites are naturally occurring clay nanotubes with the same chemical composition as kaolin. Halloysite is an economically viable raw material with economic deposits in the USA and New Zealand and is an excellent candidate for adsorption of volatile organic compounds and substances that cause odor. The extremely high surface area of the tube exterior plus the lumen means it shows a great affinity for absorbing a range of materials, an ability which is exploited in other inventions for the absorption and release of a range of useful materials
Halloysite plated with nanoparticles of silver was developed by Dr. Lacramioara Schulte auf’m Erley at our ND Life Sciences lab in Pittsburgh together with Dr. Sang-Beom Lee, Chief Researcher at ND Life Sciences. Silver plated halloysite has several unique properties.
Applications and Processing:
Silver has been long proven as a disinfectant, which will insure that most bacteria trapped in the ceramics pores are killed thereby eliminating any threat of biofilm formation. We can deposit silver nanoparticles on the surface of halloysites. Where the silver nanoparticles have a double role:
- The high surface area will impart a high antimicrobial efficacy and the silver nanoparticles can serve as adhesive connection points between the individual halloysite fibers throughout the filter.
- Nanoparticles of silver with diameter less than 50 nm can be sintered at temperature below 200° C, compared with 960° C for bulk silver and 1000 – 1800° C for clays.
This material can form an open cell network of silver interconnected nanonodules surrounded by a web of halloysite fibers. These composite membranes are expected to have a high mechanical strength and consequently can be made relatively thin for use in air or water filtration media decreasing the pressure drop, a problem encountered with current nanoporous membranes.
This nascent portfolio includes:
- Disclosure on methods of plating halloysite with silver
- Disclosure on porous silver-halloysite composite membranes
- The ability to supply plated halloysite in sample quantities
Alan Rae, Ph. D.
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