A novel reactive form of solid boron
The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) offers a technology to synthesize a novel reactive form of solid boron. This new boron material can potentially be used in all the applications where a very reactive form of elementary boron is requested from superconductors for magnetic resonance imaging to high temperature ceramics for spatial applications. The French TTO is seeking for licence agreement, research cooperation agreement or technical cooperation agreement.
The French TTO (Technology Transfer Office) is acting on behalf of an established public laboratory of a university of the Paris region.
Market Challenge
Boron is a chemical element of crucial importance in a great number of compounds with varied technological applications, from superconductors for magnetic resonance imaging to high temperature ceramics for spatial applications. The size of the nano-objects which make up this material is between 2 to 20 nm.
Proposed technology
The TTO offers a process to synthesize a novel reactive form of solid boron. Its specific surface is particularly high, superior to 500 m²/g. This new boron material can potentially be used in all the applications where a very reactive form of elementary boron is requested. Its use as an additive for solid-fuel rocket propellant is also particularly interesting due to its high combustion enthalpy, superior to that of all other metals.
Advantages and Innovation
The forms of boron currently commercialised are not very reactive. Thus, they request very tough temperature conditions which constitute a considerable limitation to its use. This low reactivity is due in particular to a very low specific surface. In fact, the known production techniques lead to a solid material composed of particles larger than 1 micron (often of the order of 10 microns), which develops a specific surface always lower than 25 m²/g.
The reactivity of this new material is thus considerably higher than that of standard commercial products.
The advantages of this technology:
• Exceptionally high specific surface (superior to 500 m²/g
• Better reactivity involving lower reaction temperatures
• Efficient propulsion additive
The applications of this new material are:
• Additive with a high energy density for explosives and fuels
• Catalyst
• Reactive for the preparation of crystalline materials containing boron and boron based alloys.
