Process Intensification Strategies for the Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles and Fabrication of Nano-Hybrid

Continuous flow spinning disc processing (SDP), which has extremely rapid mixing under plug flow conditions, effective heat and mass transfer, allowing high throughput with low wastage solvent efficiency, is effective in gaining access to superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles at room temperature. These are formed by passing ammonia gas over a thin aqueous film of Fe which is introduced through a jet feed close to the centre of a rapidly rotating disc (500 to 2500 rpm), the particle size being controlled with a narrow size distribution over the range 5 nm to 10 nm, and the material having very high saturation magnetizations, in the range 68–78 emu g. SDP also shown to be effective for fabrication of superparamagnetic carbon nanotubes composite. Ultra fine (2-3 nm) magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were uniformly deposited on singlewalled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in situ by modified chemical precipitation method using SDP in aqueous media at room temperature under continuous flow condition