Frequently Asked Questions

Silver Nanowires

Please check this page frequently, as it is updated regularly.


SOLVENTS

What solvents do you offer?

Ethanol, isopropanol (IPA), terpineol, diethylene glycol (DEG) and water/ethanol.


IPA, terpineol and DEG solutions contain 10% ethanol; water/ethanol solution is 40%/60% mixture.


Unless otherwise specified, we ship all nanowires in ethanol solution. Terpineol and DEG solutions might require additional lead time.

What are standard concentrations for each solution?

Ethanol and IPA are 10mg/ml for small quantities (less than 20g) and 20mg/ml for large orders (the MSDS lists 20mg/ml as standard).

DEG is 10mg/ml.

Terpineol is 5mg/ml.

Water/ethanol is 2mg/ml.

How do you choose the standard concentration?

We ship at safe concentrations to avoid agglomeration during shipping and storage.

Do you offer higher concentration levels?

We are happy to provide nanowires at a specific concentration, but doing so might create a greater risk of agglomeration.

Can you ship the nanowires as a dry powder, without solvent?

No; this creates agglomeration and increases risk of oxidation.



APPLICATION

Do you ship with any binder, surfactant or other additive?

No. Doing so would arbitrarily limit our customers' options, so our solutions contain only nanowires and solvent (ethanol, IPA, etc).

Do you have the ability to add a binder, surfactant or other additive?

Yes. Doing so will increase lead time and might occur additional charges.

What is the best way to remove the solution?

You can either place the material in a centrifuge (preferred) or put it onto a baking tray in an oven at 125F for 30min. IMPORTANT: Never let the solution evaporate naturally (as in a Petri dish).

What is the shelf life?

At least one year if not opened.

Can I leave the nanowire solution out in an open container?

Doing so increases the risk of solvent evaporation and agglomeration.

Do I need to keep it refrigerated?

No. Storage at room temperature is fine.

What is the melting point?

960 degrees C

I see clumping. How do I remove this?

A small amount of clumping and/or settling during shipping and storage is normal, and shaking by hand is usually enough to redisperse the nanowires within the solution. If that does not work, a short time in an ultrasonic mixer (2-5min) should be plenty. Be careful to minimize sonication time, as eventually quality degradation might occur.



PRICING

How can I find out pricing information?

Please contact us!

Do you offer volume discounts?

We offer a variety of discounts, including a special discount for new customers as well as volume discounts starting at 10g.



SHIPPING

What is estimated lead time?

Most small quantity orders (up to 10g) in ethanol or IPA at standard concentration will ship within 24 hours. Special orders will take up to two weeks to ship, plus transit time. Because customs departments vary by country, it is difficult to give a specific estimate on transit time.

Are there any issues with dangerous goods?

Ethanol and IPA are classified as dangerous goods according to both international and domestic shipping regulatory bodies (IATA and USDOT, for example). This increases the cost and transit time substantially, although small domestic (US) orders can be shipping using a small quantity exception provided no individual vial contains more than 30ml of solution (0.25g of nanowires in ethanol or IPA at 10mg/ml).

What are your standard shipping and handling charges?

For small quantities: $50 for domestic (US) ground shipments, $75 for international. If it is a large order, please contact us for a quote.

Do you accept customer shipping accounts?

Yes - if you have a FedEx (preferred) or UPS account, we will be happy to use it.



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