Process and apparatus for producing and separating fullerenes

摘要

A process and apparatus is described for the production of purified fullerenes using a non-reactive gas to collect and transport impure fullerenes from an evaporation zone to a heated filter zone in which solid impurities may be filtered out of the mixture. If one or more condensed fullerenes are present in the gas stream entering the filter zone, such condensed fullerenes may be vaporized in the filter zone and carried to a condensation zone in which one or more vaporized fullerenes may be recovered. When more than one vaporized fullerene is present in the gas entering either the filter zone or the condensation zone, a temperature gradient may be used to permit separation and recovery of purified portions of different fullerenes.