Patent ID: 9573194
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: B22F,B29B,C22C

Claim:
1. A method of making spherical particles that are a composite of one or more elemental metals, elemental carbon, and oxygen, the method comprising: forming a metal oleate precursor by reacting one or more inorganic metal salts of the one or more elemental metals with oleic acid in a basic solution; precipitating the metal oleate precursor from the solution; separating the metal oleate precursor precipitate from any by-products; forming a dispersion of the metal oleate precursor in a solvent of tetrahydrofuran; forming aerosol droplets of the dispersed precursor in a stream of an inert gas; and heating the aerosol droplets in the stream to evaporate the solvent, decompose organic material, and form spherical particles of the one or more elemental metals, elemental carbon, and oxygen having a uniform mesoporous nanocrystalline structure.