Can we invent a scalable technique to synthesize microplatelets - micron-sized crystals with controlled shape? Such microplatelets are a crucial stepping-stone to make high performance, ceramic materials with control of the orientation of each building block (grain) in a material. This is because the microplatelets can act as seeds that steer the direction each grain grows in.
At present, such microplatelets can only be made by small batch processes, this project aims to synthesize them with a continuous machine that also can be used for large-scale production. This is based on a technique developed for producing nanoparticles; to make microplatelets we need to increase the particle size by 1000 times while simultaneously control the particle shape. If successful, this “microplatelet machine” will be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for improving many ceramic materials, for example energy harvesters or transducers for medical ultrasound imaging.
The project received support from VILLUM FONDEN under the Villum Experiment Programme and runs from 2020 to 2023.