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Technology

Process Technology

NYACOL® uses a diversified set of process technologies to manufacture our products. The process technology used to produce the particles is determined after consideration of many factors including product objectives such as material type, particle morphology, amorphous, partially crystalline or crystalline structure, and available raw materials to meet product cost targets. We believe our flexibility in process design and selection is a differentiating factor compared to competitors who may use only one particle production process.

To meet the needs of our customers, we use an array of process technologies, either singly or in combination, that include

  • 1. Ion exchange

  • 2. Forced hydrolysis

  • 3. Oxidation/reduction in solution

  • 4. Hydrothermal processes

  • 5. Alkoxide hydrolysis

    sometimes called sol-gel, but we only practice the sol part.

  • 6. Peptization/de-agglomeration

  • 7. Controlled precipitation

    /co-precipitation of single and mixed oxide compositions.

  • 8. Phase transfer

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Technical Support

NYACOL® maintains an experienced technical service team and technical support function, supported by in-house analytical equipment, application testing equipment and small scale end use equipment such as extruders, coaters, and film extrusion.

We also utilize application experts to supplement our in-house resources in applications such as flame retardants and electronic ceramics. Specific Solutions LLC is currently our expert for MLCC and SOFC applications.

We are a member of the Harvard University Center for Nanoscale Science, which provides us access to high end sophisticated instrumentation such as XPS, SEM, and TEM.

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About NYACOL® Colloidal Materials:

NYACOL® specializes in the development and manufacture of colloidal metal oxides. These materials are non-settling dispersions in water or hydrocarbons and are also referred to as sols or nanoparticle dispersions.

While we specialize in sub-100 nm materials, we have also developed materials with particle sizes greater than 100 nm in response to particular market demands. In addition to single metal oxides, we have also developed mixed oxide and doped metal oxide materials for specific applications.

Our technology generally starts with water based dispersions. The sols are charge stabilized and supplied as stable colloidal dispersions. There are a broad range of material types available at different particle sizes and pH values to meet the specific application needs as described in our application and product guides.

If the application cannot use a water based system, then we offer surface modified powders or non-aqueous dispersions. Surface modified powders are a unique NYACOL® technology. We modify the water based sols with surface functional additives and the mixture is spray dried to create a powder that exfoliates in the matrix of interest back to the original nanoparticle size and degree of dispersion. This enables the user to realize the benefits of the nanoparticle in the formulation without having to deal with the water content of a sol.

Non-aqueous dispersions are prepared using phase transfer processes in which the nano-scale water based dispersion is transferred directly into a non-aqueous carrier. This process offers some advantages since drying and powder handling are avoided.

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Custom Development:

In some cases our standard materials are not suitable for a customer’s particular application, or a different composition is required. In these cases, we will consider a custom development project with our customers. We generally proceed under a Non-Disclosure Agreement and we will do the project in such a way that the material can be readily scaled up.

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