Patent ID: 7785492

Claim:
A process for exfoliating a layered material to produce nano-scaled platelets having a thickness smaller than 100 nm, said process comprising: a) charging a layered material, excluding pre-intercalated graphite, to an intercalation chamber comprising a gas at a first temperature which is lower than 200° C. and a first pressure sufficient to cause gas species to penetrate into an interstitial space between layers of the layered material, forming a gas-intercalated layered material, wherein said gas is selected from hydrogen, helium, neon, argon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, carbon dioxide, water vapor, or a combination thereof; and b) operating a discharge means to rapidly eject said gas-intercalated layered material through a nozzle into an exfoliation zone at a second pressure and a second temperature, which is lower than 200° C. allowing gas species residing in the interstitial space to exfoliate said layered material to produce the platelets.