MAST's primary target in this project has been to complete the development of the nanoporous synthetic carbon beads that were originally produced on a gram scale in an earlier EU sponsored project and the their structural optimisation. During this project the the production of the polymer beads has moved through lab scale 1kg to 50kg/day batch pilot plant production to a continuous pilot scale unit capable of 2-3 tonnes day. The carbonisation and activation has also moved from small laboratory batch scale processing to a continuous rotary kiln capable of processing >100Kg/day of feed polymer. These have provided the basis for the design of the full-scale production plant that we expect to have in operation within 18-24 months.
Whilst the project has been targeted specifically at catalyts support applications, where the materials have shown unique properties, they have also been evaluated in other projects for use in biomedical and adsorbent applications. The overall studies have established that a significant market does exist for these materials that has underpinned our plans for the installation of the full-scale commercial facility. It is our intention that this will be constructed in the UK and will at that stage be the largest synthetic carbon production plant in the world.
publications
1)Structural characteristics of activated carbons and ibuprofen adsorption affected by bovine serum albumin, Melillo M, Gun'ko VM, Tennison SR, Mikhalovska LI, Phillips GJ, Davies JG, Lyoyd AW, Kozynchenko OP, Malik DJ, Streat M, Mikhalovsky SV, LANGMUIR 20 (7): 2837-2851 MAR 30 2004
2)The effect of protein binding on ibuprofen adsorption to activated carbons, Melillo M, Phillips GJ, Davies JG, Lloyd AW, Tennison SR, Kozynchenko OP, Mikhalovsky SV CARBON 42 (3): 565-571 2004
3)Assessing the in vitro biocompatibility of a novel carbon device for the treatment of sepsis " Biomaterials, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 20 June 2005, Susan R. Sandeman, Carol A. Howell, Gary J. Phillips, Andrew W. Lloyd, J. Graham Davies, Sergey V. Mikhalovsky, Steve R. Tennison, Andrew P. Rawlinson, Oleksandr P. Kozynchenko, Hannah L.H. Owen et al.
conferences
1)Middle Molecule Adsorption from Ultrafiltrate for Use in Critical Care Medicine. European Society for Biomaterials, 2001. K.A. Scorgie1, J.G. Davies1, S.V. Mikhalovsky1, A.W. Lloyd1, M.K. Street2, C. Kingswood2 & G.J. Phillips1. 1School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences, Cockcroft Building, University of Brighton, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, U.K 2Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, UK.
2) 2nd Defence Nanotechnology Meeting, London, 2003, Development of nano engineered adsorbents for novel group and personnel protection applications, S Tennison1, M Smith2, B Crittenden3,
1) MAST carbon Ltd,
2) CBDE, Porton Down,
3) Bath University, Department of Chemical Engineering
3) International Carbon Conference, 2003, Adsorption of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by Polymer-Based Pyrolysed Carbons and Resins C. Howell1, S. Sandeman1, G. Phillips1, A. Lloyd1, S. Mikhalovsky1, J.G. Davies1, M. Murphy1, M. Melillo1, L. Barnes1, S. Tennison2, J. Courtney3. 1School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, 2Mast Carbon Ltd, Surrey, 3Bioengineering Unit, University of Strathclyde
4)International Carbon Conference, 2004, Application of carbon adsorbents in renal failure treatment, M.Melillo1, G.J.Phillips1, J.G.Davies1, A.W.Lloyd1, S.R.Tennison2, O.P.Kozynchenko2, S.V.Mikhalovsky1, 1 School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Lewis Road BN2 4GJ, Brighton UK, 2 MAST Carbon Ltd., Henley Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU3 2AF UK