QSI Nanocatalysts
A multi-billion dollar global industry, catalysts are essential to the world’s industrial production. As much as 90% of all chemical processes utilize catalysts (petroleum refining, pollution abatement, and production of fuels and chemicals) and 60% of all consumer and industrial products (fertilizers, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and batteries) are made using catalysts. Catalysts are now seen as a preferred way to improve process efficiency, lower costs, increase output, use less energy, and meet both performance and environmental standards. This is placing a strong emphasis on the development of new catalysts with higher activity, increased longevity, and reduced environmental and/or health impact.
A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, or 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, or roughly the size of a marble when compared to the earth. QSI catalysts typically measure 5-25 nm.
A catalyst is a material that helps make chemical reactions happen faster. The higher the surface area of the catalyst, the faster the chemical reaction.
QSI’s advanced catalysts have superior properties including their spherical shape, oxide layer, and very large surface area. This translates into greater efficiency in the generation, storage, and use of energy.
Leveraging our patented, automated, highly scalable, and environmentally safe Gas Phase Condensation (GPC) process, we manufacture a number of high-quality metals, bi-metallic alloys, and catalysts at the nano scale including Iron, Silver, Copper, Nickel, and Manganese. We also offer custom dispersions and several specialty metals and catalysts including Gold, Palladium, Aluminum, and Tin.
We have eight dedicated reactors currently in operation with a manufacturing facility capacity of ~500 kilos per month. Based on demand, we are able to quickly scale and adjust production runs to satisfy our customers’ advanced material needs and delivery timelines.
In addition, we leverage our deep technical knowledge and process chemistry expertise to offer custom dispersions and integrated catalytic solutions for the energy storage and chemical sectors.
Aluminum, Gold, Palladium (click here to inquire)
Catalyst Footnote: A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction by reducing the required activation energy. In addition to speeding up certain chemical reactions, catalysts also can be used to alter the temperature and pressure at which various thermal and elctro-chemical reactions take place and, thus, make them more efficient. Nanocatalysts represent the convergence of catalysts, a mature technology, with a new one, nanotechnology. Nanocatalysts are nanoscale materials (typically under 100 nanometers in size) that have been subjected to nanoscale structural modification in order to enhance their catalytic activity by increasing the active surface area, resulting in unique physical properties with superior performance.
The extent of the catalyst market may not be apparent to the casual observer because catalysts are mostly used in intermediate processing steps, but catalysts are a multi-billion dollar industry. Current global catalyst markets are in excess of $12 billion annually. Nanocatalysts sales are projected to reach $6.0 billion by 2015 and will play a critical role in reducing costs and increasing efficiency in the generation, storage, and usage of energy. Sources: Freedonia Group, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. |
