Upscale Design, Process Development, and Economic Analysis of Industrial Plants for Nanomagnetic Particle Production for Environmental and Biomedical Use

Abstract

Very few economical and process engineering studies have been made concerning the scale-up and implementation of nanomagnetic particle manufacturing into a full-scale plant, and determination of its viability. In this work we describe such a study for two types of industrial plants, one for manufacturing magnetic particles for applications in the environmental area, and the other for manufacturing nanomagnetic particles for applications in the biotechnology area; the two different applications are compared. The following methodology was followed: establish the manufacturing process for each application; determine the market demand of the product (magnetic nanoparticles) for both applications; determine the production capacity of each plant; engineer all the manufacturing process, determining all the process units and performing all the mass and energy balances for both plants; scale-up the main equipment; and determine the global economic impact and profitability. At the end both plants are found to be technologically and economically viable, the characteristics of the final products being, however, quite different, as well as the process engineering, economic analysis, and scale-up.

Cubic Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia: Process Optimization and Potential Industrial Implementation

“…The following methodological steps were applied for the economic analysis and industrial scale-up [ 8 ]: (a) determine the optimized process for magnetic hyperthermia; (b) perform a market study to determine the demand of the product (magnetic nanoparticles) for hyperthermia applications; (c) determine the size of the plant; (d) analyze all the process steps, choose all the process units and perform all the mass and energy balances required in the plant; (e) detailed scale-up design of the main equipment; and (f) analyze the global economic impact and profitability.…”

“…Magnetite (iron oxide) particles are well-known for their biocompatibility, possible monodispersity and easiness of synthesis [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Besides, mono-domain particles are usually easy to obtain.…”

“…The main methods to produce MNPs are coprecipitation, thermal decomposition, microemulsion, sol-gel, hydrothermal synthesis, and synthesis with polyols [ 8 , 9 ]. These methods have been used to prepare particles with an appropriate composition and size distribution, according to the application in mind.…”

“…These methods have been used to prepare particles with an appropriate composition and size distribution, according to the application in mind. For example, for environmental non-specific treatments, coprecipitation is usually the preferred method [ 8 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], while for biomedical applications where monodispersed particles are usually required, less simple methods, like thermal decomposition and hydrothermal, are preferred [ 8 ]. A summary of the main methods and their characteristics is presented in Table 1 .…”

Water Decontamination with Magnetic Particles by Adsorption and Chemical Degradation. Influence of the Manufacturing Parameters

“…Many production methods exist and were proposed [13,14]. For environmental processes several have been applied, but when reaching real practical level, co-precipitation, and sometimes thermal decomposition, are the only methods that are economical and technologically viable [15].…”