E.

MCCLARENCE 2010-09-20

Novel Nanodiamond
Synthesis Company seeks
Strategic Partners

 

 

 

 
Within three years of start-
 
up, Israeli based Ray
 
Techniques Ltd is already
 
turning a profit on its
 
nanodiamond. With sales of
 
100 kg monthly going to a
 
range of end applications
 
including polishing pastes,
 
adhesives and greases, the
 
company is now looking for
 
new investors to take it to the
 

 
next level of development

 
and drive markets for its

 
nanodiamond in biological
 
and other advanced
 
applications.
 

 
In general, nanotechnology is
 
perceived as one of the most exciting
 
technology growth areas with vast
 
potential throughout industry from
 
toothpaste to quantum computing.
 
Ray Techniques hopes that any
 
investor will see a return on investment
 
within five years. Nanodiamond is
 
regarded as the state-of-the-art

  The technology of ND laser synthesis allows obtaining diamond particles of

  high geometrical homogeneity, while detonation ND powder may contain
material widely used in polishing

  crystals up to 50 and even 90 nm.
 
materials, polymers, lubricants and

 
electrolytes.

 
The company has developed a novel to form a target for a laser. The laser Contrast this process with the traditional
proprietary technology for the treatment results in nanodiamond technology that involves the detonation
production of nanodiamonds, which it synthesis that does not contain metals of TNT and hexogen explosives in metal
says in a green technology when or other contaminants. The reactors and the subsequent need to
compared to other production methods nanodiamond is isolated and purified by separate the nanodiamond from the
such as detonation. In essence, the a flotation process in de-ionized water metal blend and its purification by high
process involves producing a carbon after which the material is washed and temperature acid oxidation using nitric
soot from pure graphite, which is dried. acid. The new method is non-
combined with hydrocarbons and liquid hazardous and, according to Ray

  Techniques, the resultant nanodiamond
is “of much higher quality and lower
 E. MCCLARENCE
Techniques, the resultant nanodiamond
is “of much higher quality and lower cost
than detonation nanodiamond available
 diamond nucleus with an average size of
today in the market.”
 4-5 nm in graphene-like shells bearing
 chemical active functional groups
Looking at the nanodiamond material,
the diamond particles vary in size
typically between 2 and 10 nm with an
aggregate size in water of between 5-
50nm and display a high degree of
 particles and to influence processes and
geometrical homogeneity. Detonation
material in comparison can vary between
2 and 50 nm with some individual crystal
up to 90nm in size. According to Ray
Techniques, its nanodiamond material
is:-
• Environment-friendly and non-
hazardous
• Enables to control average ND
crystal size and defects
• Allows obtaining ND
of much higher quality
• Allows wider scope of potential
applications
• Enables higher efficiency in
each application
• Cost-effective for mass
production
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) of RayND exhibits a significantly more narrow temperature range of decomposition: 250 C
degrees in comparison with 390 ْ C degrees for DND. In addition, the presence of fracture at 590 ْC in DND graph indicates
heterogeneity of DND. This fracture is absent in RayND graph.
The main product from Ray Techniques,
RayND, consists of chemically stable
mechanical applications, the material
homogeneity and dispersion
characteristics make it suitable for the
(carboxyl, carbonyl, methylene, ether and
others) and having multiple unpaired
electrons, which defines RayND’s ability
to interact with various molecules and
Aside from RayND, the company is
reactions.
The combined properties of the new
nanodiamond material, says Ray
Techniques, opens up applications in
four key application areas, optics,
thermal management, biomedicine and
biochemistry and mechanical
applications. For optical applications, the
material offers improved surface control
for infrared and visible spectra
applications. The higher purity coupled
with high thermal conductivity is
advantageous for thermal management
in components such as heat capacitors
and conductors. For biomedicine and
biochemistry Ray Techniques Ltd says
that RayND is particularly promising
because it has a large and homogeneous
2010-09-20
surface area, is of high purity (99.85%)
and has good size control. Finally for
production of polymers, lubricants,
polishing composition and coating
additives.
selling RT-Lap a nanodiamond polishing
paste for polishing/lapping/finishing of
high precision surfaces for various
materials ranging from steel and hard
alloys, silicon and silicon carbides,
aluminium oxide, zirconium dioxide and
polycarbonates. It is possible to achieve
atomically smooth surfaces. The
nanodiamond is also available in a slurry
form, RT-Sol, where applications include
polishing, electrolyte polishing, drug and
gene delivery, and suspensions for
protein purification and solutions for
diagnostic kits. In particular, the company
sees biomedical applications as one of its
major potential growth markets and is
participating in research projects in this
area with a view to gaining a head start in
seizing any emerging business
opportunities.