Forming the Desired Thin Films

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DESCRIPTION: Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a method for preparing coatings of thin films onto solid particle. Over the last two decades or so, there has been an influx of new supercritical-fluid-aided material processing options for a variety of materials. Some of these processes include impregnation of porous matrices, formation of controlled porosity materials, nucleation of particles with narrow and controlled particle size and drying. However, none of these processes permits coating of particles with high quality thin films. It is therefore imperative to provide a method to eliminate these challenges. The technology developed by the University of South Florida inventors provides a method for forming thin films on particles; the method includes the steps of suspending particles to be coated in a supercritical fluid containing dissolved coating material. It simultaneously nucleates and deposits the dissolved coating material onto the surface of the particles forming the desired thin films. The technology is suitable for controlled release particulate applications including air bags, gas generators, solid propellants, ordnance, and time release drugs. Until this invention of supercritical-fluid-aided material processing, the effort to identify successful techniques for achieving the required microns-thin, high-quality particle coatings was unsuccessful. This invention also relates to green technology.