Pilot plant production of Thorium Dioxide nanofibers

Vojtěch Kundrát^1; Zdeněk Moravec^1; Jiří Pinkas^1

^1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Despite the fact that nowadays almost all ceramic materials were successfully prepared in form of
nanofibers, actinoid oxides like uranium and thorium oxides are still not described in that form.
For the first time we have prepared ThO[2 ]nanofibers with relatively high surface area. Our work
is based on three different approaches: laboratory electrospinning from needle, needleless pilot
plant electrospinning (Nanospider LAB500S) and pilot plant electrospinning from charged wire
(Nanospider Production Line NS 1WS500U). Various solutions with two different precursors
(Th(NO[3])[4] and Th(acac)[4]) were used. Methods were focused on use of the simplest possible ways
to obtain ultrafine fibers. Work with nitrate were done in aqueous system and acetylacetonate
complex were used in organic solvent system. All methods were developed according the needs of used
machinery, where roller needleless system is most efficient for water-based solution and charged
wire for organic solvents. After electrospinning prepared nanofibrous composite of polymer and
inorganic precursor was calcined in muffle oven and studied by various analytical techniques (TGA,
SEM, TEM, PXRD, BET). Prepared polycrystalline nanofibers were in range of tens of nanometers in
average diameter. The biggest surface area achieved in this work was 52 m^2.g^-1. ThO[2 ]has
potential in heterogenous catalysis, refractory materials and nuclear power industry. Further work
will be focused on finding optimal application for example as precursor of nanoceramics.

References:

Kundrát, V.; (2016) Diploma thesis