Introduction

The present idea refers to an industrial production process with an SDR (Spinning Disk Reactor) which allows to produce nano or microstructured zeolites without the addition of other chemical agents for deposition, which should be removed with appropriate post-treatments and that make impossible the direct use of zeolites in biomedical applications.

Technical features

The production of nano-zeolites can be carried out in two different ways: top-down through the miniaturization of natural zeolites and bottom-up through the preparation of synthetic zeolites. The bottom-up production that is proposed here, requires the use of a rotating disk reactor. In this particular case, the reactor was equipped with a plastic disc. The speed at which the disc was brought was 1500 rpm by means of an electric motor. The reagent solutions are simultaneously injected on the surface of the disc, in the central point and at a certain distance from it respectively. The rotation of the disk guarantees the establishment of the necessary micro-mixing conditions in the liquid film in order to continuously produce nanoparticles. The zeolites obtained with the process of the present invention preferably have a modal dimension comprised between 10 and 500nm, preferably 10-100 nm (nanozeolites); the modal dimension can be measured with a granulometer, according to conventional techniques.

Possible Applications

• Heterogeneous catalysts in industrial chemical processes, therefore for the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, in the medical and biomedical fields, and in the electronics industry.

Advantages

• A classic discontinuous production of synthetic zeolites is brought to a continuous production, with all the related operational and economic advantages;
• Greater daily production of product;
• Greater reproducibility and purity;
• Less production of process waste to be treated.