Container made of a porous material and coated with precious metal nanoparticles and method thereof

Abstract

A container made of a porous material and coated with precious metal nanoparticles is disclosed. The method of making it includes: adding precious metal nanoparticles and intermedium particles to a solution; maintaining the solution at a first temperature; heating a container body made of a porous material at a second temperature; and immersing the container body in the solution wherein the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature causes the precious metal nanoparticles and intermedium particles to permeate into the pores of the container body. The resultant container has precious metal nanoparticles not only attached to its surface but also within its pores.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a manufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a ceramic teapot made by a manufacturing process of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a microcosmic cross-sectional view of a partial structure of the ceramic teapot as depicted in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention proposes a container made of a porous material and coated with precious metal nanoparticles, and a method of making the container. In accordance with the present invention, precious metal nanoparticles and intermedium particles (preferably nanoparticles) are added into a solution, and a temperature difference is provided so that the solution, with the precious metal nanoparticles and the intermedium particles in the solution, permeate in the pores on the surface of the container body made of a porous material. Next, a high temperature is provided to melt the intermedium particles which have permeated in the pores on the surface of the container body so that the intermedium particles combine with the precious metal nanoparticles and are sintered with the surface of the container body to form a nano-scale precious metal film. Referring to FIG. 1, the manufacturing method of the invention comprises the following steps.

(1) Add precious metal nanoparticles and intermedium particles into a solution and mix the two evenly in the solution. Thereafter, the solution is kept in a first temperature range. The material of the intermedium particles is selected from materials having material properties similar to those of the porous material making the container body.

(2) Put the container having its body made of a porous material (such as a ceramic or stone material) into an oven to heat the container at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.

(3) Immerse the container into the solution, so that the solution, and the precious metal nanoparticles and the intermedium particles in the solution, permeate into the pores densely distributed on the surface of the container due to the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature.

(4) Remove the container from the solution, and put the container into an oven to heat the container at a third temperature so that the water content in the solution is thus evaporated. The intermedium particles permeating into the pores on the surface of the container are thus melted to combine with the precious metal nanoparticles, and the combined intermedium particles and precious metal nanoparticles are sintered on the surface of the container to form a nano-scale precious metal film.

Referring to FIG. 2 for a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container 10 is a ceramic teapot made of a porous ceramic material or a stone teapot, and the nano-scale precious metal could be gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru) and palladium (Pd), alloys of two or more of the above, etc. In this embodiment, silver is formed into nano-scale particles with a size of approximately 1 nm to 100 nm, i.e., a size falling between a molecule and a submicron. An intermedium material is selected, which is silica (silicon dioxide) in this embodiment, and also formed into particles, preferably also in nano-scale. The silver nanoparticles and the silica particles are added into a solution, and evenly mixed. The temperature of the solution is maintained at room temperature (approximately between 20° C. and 30° C.). Then, the ceramic pot or stone teapot 10 is placed into an oven and heated at a temperature of 60° C.˜110° C. The temperature difference between the solution and the teapot 10 should be large enough, preferably larger than 30° C., so that the mixed silver nanoparticles and silica particles permeate into the pores densely distributed on the surface of the teapot 10. After silver nanoparticles and silica particles permeate sufficiently into the pores on the surface of the ceramic pot or stone teapot 10, the ceramic pot or stone teapot 10 is removed from the solution and placed into an oven and heated at a high temperature, preferably higher than 450° C., and may be in a rang from 450° C. to 950° C., so as to evaporate the water content in the solution. As shown in FIG. 3, the silica particles having permeated into the pores 11 of the ceramic pot or stone pot 10 become melted silica film 20, and tightly combine with the silver nanoparticles 30. Thus, the silica film 20 and the silver nanoparticles 30 are sintered onto the surface and in the pores 11 of the ceramic pot or store teapot 10, to form a nano-scale silver film 40 on the surface of the ceramic pot or stone pot 10.

As shown in the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, silver nanoparticles 30 and silica particles are sintered onto the surface of the ceramic pot or stone teapot 10 and in the densely distributed pores 11, such that the silver nanoparticles 30 and the porous material of the ceramic pot or stone pot 10 are strongly combined together. The resultant nano-scale silver film 40 is enduring and robust. The released silver ions not only have significant bacteriostasis and disinfection effects, but also effectively suppress the growth of moulds, so as to achieve the effects of preventing tea from being deteriorated or getting rotten and also providing an effect of removing peculiar smells and catalyzing the aroma of the tea. Therefore, the ceramic pot or stone pot 10 can achieve enduring anti-bacteria, antiseptic and catalytic effects.

It is readily conceivable to one skilled in this art that the present invention may be applied to make products other than a teapot. The container could be, but is not limited to, a coffee pot, a bowl, a large pot, a pan, a kettle, an so on, made of a porous material for containing drinks, food, soups or liquid medicine. In addition to silica, the material of the intermedium particles can be substituted by other materials such as aluminum trioxide, as long as such intermedium material has a material property that is similar to the material property of the material making the container, so that particles made of such intermedium material may combine with the surface of the container after sufficiently heated. All such variations, and other modifications, substitutions and/or equivalents, are intended to be covered in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of making a container comprising: adding precious metal nanoparticles and intermedium particles to a solution;providing a container body having a plurality of pores on a surface thereof;creating a temperature difference between said solution and said container body so that said precious metal nanoparticles and said intermedium particles permeat into said pores distributed on the surface of said container body; andproviding a temperature sufficient for sintering said intermedium particles and said precious metal nanoparticles with said pores.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: maintaining said solution at a first temperature;heating said container body to a second temperature higher than said first temperature; andimmersing said container body into said solution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sintering step comprises the steps of: heating said container at a third temperature such that the water content in said solution is substantially evaporated, and said intermedium particles are melted and combined with said precious metal nanoparticles; andforming a nano-scale precious metal film.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said temperature difference is larger than 30° C.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said temperature difference is between 40° C. and 80° C.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said first temperature is between 20° C. and 30° C.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second temperature is between 60° C. and 110° C.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said nano precious metal is gold, silver, platinum, ruthenium, or palladium.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermedium particles are made of a material which has a material property that is similar to that of the material of the container body.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said intermedium particles are intermedium nanoparticles.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermedium particles are silicon dioxide nanoparticles or aluminum trioxide nanoparticles.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said third temperature is above 450° C.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said third temperature is bewteen 450° C. and 950° C.

14. A container, comprising: a container body, made of a porous material and having a plurality of pores distributed on a surface of said container body;intermedium particles in said pores; andprecious metal nanoparticles in said pores.

15. The container of claim 14, wherein said precious metal nanoparticles are combined with said surface of said container body by means of said intermediam particles.

16. The container of claim 14, wherein said precious metal is gold, silver, platinum, ruthenium, palladium, or an alloy of two or more of the above.

17. The container of claim 14, wherein said intermedium particles are silicon dioxide nanoparticles or aluminum trioxide nanoparticles.

18. The container of claim 14, wherein said container body is made of a ceramic material or stone.