Nanoparticles of rare earth oxides

Abstract

Rare earth compositions comprising nanoparticles are described along with various nanotechnology applications of such nanoparticles. The compositions of the nanomaterials discussed may include scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu).

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A process for preparing a dispersion, comprising:
 mixing a first composition comprising nanoscale or submicron powders comprising at least one rare earth element and a substance; and   processing the first composition into the dispersion.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the substance comprises an organic liquid or nitric acid. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the substance comprises water. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the substance comprises at least one of powders of ceramics, metals, alloys, or polymers. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the substance comprises at least one precursor. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the precursor comprises at least one of organometallics, organics, inorganics, solutions, dispersions, melts, sols, gels, emulsions, or mixtures. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the precursor is selected from the group consisting of metal acetates, metal carboxylates, metal ethanoates, metal alkoxides, metal octoates, metal chelates, metallo-organic compounds, metal halides, metal azides, metal nitrates, metal sulfates, metal hydroxides, metal salts soluble in organics or water, and metal-containing emulsions. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the first composition comprises at least one of an oxide, a carbonate, a nitrate, and a hydroxide. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the surface area of the powder is greater than 25 m 2 /gm. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the mixing comprises pretreating the first composition to coat the powder surface. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one rare earth element comprises from about 0.005% to about 20% by weight of the dispersion. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the dispersion is selected from the group consisting of an ink, a paste, a cream, a lotion, a Newtonian, a non-Newtonian, a uniform, a non-uniform, a transparent, a translucent, an opaque, a white, a black, a colored, an emulsified, an additive, a non-additive, a water-based, a polar solvent-based, and a non-polar solvent-based mixture. 
     
     
         35 . A coating, film, laminate or layer comprising the dispersion prepared by the process of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 21 , further comprising incorporating the dispersion into composites, plastics, wood, fabric, adhesives, paints, inks, furniture, leather, glass, paper, food packaging materials, housing products, construction products, flooring products, car interiors, biomedical storage products, blood storage containers, bio-fluid containers, road signs, indicators, and cosmetics. 
     
     
         37 . A process for preparing a dispersion, comprising:
 preparing a composition comprising nanoscale or submicron powders comprising at least one rare earth element; and   preparing a dispersion comprising the composition.   
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 37 , wherein preparing the composition comprises:
 providing a first composition which comprises nanoparticles comprising the at least one rare earth element; and   reacting the first composition with at least one of an organic liquid and nitric acid, wherein the reacting creates a second composition comprising at least one rare earth element that is different from the first composition.   
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium. 
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 37 , wherein the at least one rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. 
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 37 , wherein the surface area of powder is greater than 25 m 2 /gm. 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the second composition comprises at least one precursor. 
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the first composition comprises at least one of an oxide, a carbonate, a nitrate, and a hydroxide. 
     
     
         44 . A method for coating a substrate, comprising:
 applying a dispersion to at least a portion of the substrate, the dispersion comprising nanoscale or submicron powders comprising at least one rare earth element; and   curing the dispersion to form the coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the at least one rare earth element comprises from about 0.005% to about 20% by weight of the coating. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the applying comprises at least one of electrophoretic deposition, magnetophoretic deposition, spin coating, dip coating, ion beam coating, vapor deposition, sputtering, spraying, brushing, screen printing, ink-jet printing, toner printing, plasma spray, and sintering. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one of metal, glass, plastic, ceramic, paper, leather, fibers, fabric, and wood. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the powders are pretreated to coat the powder surface.