Low Temperature Production of High Value Nanomaterials from Coal

Problem Statement Carbon nanomaterials are of interest for many advanced technologies, including aerospace, electronics, automotive, energy, and defense, due to their desirable electrical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties. The generation of specialized carbon nanomaterials requires a high level of expertise and investment and are these materials are expensive to produce and utilize. Coal and carbonaceous coal wastes represent an abundant, inexpensive source of carbon; however, significant problems exist in the utilization of the carbon from coal due to its inherent heterogeneity and difficulties associated with processing, particularly dissolution . Overall Approach Proposed herein is a method for generating high value nanomaterials and carbon feedstocks directly from coal and carbonaceous coal-derived products using inexpensive, nonvolatile solvents designed for the direct dissolution of carbonaceous coal fractions at low temperatures. This technology has the potential to lower the cost of nanomaterial production and increase the value of carbonaceous ores. The proposed platform will serve as an energy efficient route to the development of new, high-value nanomaterials and can aid in the extraction and recovery of additional valuable impurities from existing domestic feedstocks (e.g., critical materials) in future work. Phase I Work Plan Work will be carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of this technology via 1) development and refinement of a low-temperature process capable of dissolving the carbonaceous fraction of coal feedstocks, 2) generation and evaluation of specific nanomaterials including conductive carbon thin films, carbon nanofibers, and luminescent quantum dots, using established (off-the-shelf) techniques, 3) process analyses, co-product identification, and safety assessments, and 4) preliminary technoeconomic analyses and life cycle analysis for economic feasibility. Small-scale experiments will be performed using subbituminous coal and carbonaceous coal refuse, which Wyonics already has in its possession, to demonstrate the generation of carbon-based nanomaterials using the proposed strategy. Commercial Application, Benefits, Phase II and Beyond Results from the proposed research project will be used to select the most energetically favorable, environmentally benign, and economically viable processes to generate the novel carbons feedstocks and produce high value nanomaterials. Phase II objectives will include optimization of the dissolution process, application-specific nanomaterial synthesis, the valorization of the other valuable components of coal, specifically lithium and rare earth elements, engagement with customers/users, and development of plans for scale-up and commercialization.