Profiling growing nanoalumina production market, which is finding application in energy, paints, coatings and filtration markets.
Worldwide production estimates for aluminium and aluminium oxide in 2011 were between 80 and 100 million tons per annum. Aluminium and aluminium oxide nanopowder production is a small percentage of this, but represents a significant market.
Current annual production for aluminium oxide (Al2O3) nanopowders is approximately 18,000-20,000 tons per annum. The minimum worldwide tonnage produced in 2010 was 18,000 tons. Aluminium oxide nanopowder finds application in a wide range of sectors such as paints, polymers, coatings, textiles, fuel cells, solar energy, airbag propellants and energetic materials.
Current applications include wear resistant additives and coatings for cutting and grinding tools; as pipe materials in gas discharge lamps; biomaterials for medical implants; catalyst supports; heat-transfer fluids (suspensions); nanocomposites; ceramic additives; ceramic-metal solder; conductive sources for IC board or package; transparent conductive coatings; and transparent optical coatings. In the coatings sector, aluminium oxide nanopowder is used for corrosion, scratch and wear resistance and displays high thermal barrier properties as well as being superhydrophobic; in composites it provides high barrier, durability, fire retardancy, stiffness, as well as being super strong and damage tolerant. Tensile strength is increased by factors 2-4.
Main producers of aluminium oxide nanopowders include Nanophase Technologies (www.nanophase.com), Alcoa (www.alcoa.com), Alpha Nanomaterials (www.alphananomaterials.com), American Elements (www.americanelements.com), Baikowski Chimie (www.baikowskichimie.com), Canano Technologies LLC (www.cananopowders.com), Inframat (www.advancedmaterials.us), Meliorum Technologies, Inc. (www.meliorum.com) and Umicore NanoMaterials (www.nanograin.umicore.com).
Oil and Gas Drilling
Alcoa produces nanoscale alumina for applications mainly in the energy industry. Applications include offshore oil and gas drilling systems, high-efficiency power transmission, next-generation lighting, energy-efficient buildings and transportation systems, and green packaging. In oil and glass drilling applications are mainly for corrosion, scratch, wear resistant and thermal barrier coatings.
Propulsion
Aluminium oxide nanopowders are utilised as energetic materials in propulsion systems. Their large specific surface area and energy density, when coupled or mixed with oxidative species, make them unique combustible additives in propellant formulations. The nanoparticles in suspension are more conducive to the formation of microexplosions during combustion.
Coatings
Alumina nanoparticles are added to the coating of headlight parts, windscreens, optical lenses, coatings for wood floors, safety glasses, electronic displays, and polycarbonate panels to make them scratch- and wear-resistant. BYK-Chemie, among other producers, currently markets alumina nanoparticles for these applications.
Polishing
Aluminium oxide nanopowders are utilized in the planarization of silicon wafers and the polishing of photomask blanks, lithography optics and rigid memory substrates. The morphology, density and primary particle size of these materials have greatly improved surface roughness with no subsurface damage in the polishing of photomask blanks.
Batteries
Aluminium oxide nanopowder’s superior energy density to weight ratio, zero emissions potential and minimal toxicity is utilized in lithium batteries to extend the battery lifecycles and to improve electrolyte performance. Nanoscale composites containing aluminium undergo reversible lithium alloying over many cycles with minimal loss of capacity.
Filtration
NanoCeram® pleated nanofiltration filters are special electropositively charged nanofilters featuring nano-sized activated alumina particles bonded onto a glass fiber matrix to filter out microcontaminants for drinking water and industrial water processes.
Composites
The addition of aluminium oxide nanopowders can increase ultimate strength, hardness, elastic modulus and lead to a significant improvement of creep resistance, thermal shock resistance, and wear resistance in composites.
Ceramics
Nano-alumina has been developed for ceramic spacers for thermal insulation applications. The nanoparticles allow for high structural integrity, significant mechanical strength and excellent thermal shock resistance .
