Silver Nanoparticles and Supercritical CO2: Price, Daily Output, and Revenue Potential

Silver Nanoparticles and Supercritical CO2: Price, Daily Output, and Revenue Potential

1. Current value per gram for silver nanoparticles

There is no single official price for silver nanoparticles. The value depends on:

Particle size and distribution

Surface treatment (bare, coated, functionalized)

Purity and quality control

Order size (grams vs kilograms)

Looking at current commercial listings:

Specialty suppliers and research vendors quote prices that often exceed 50 to 80 EUR per gram for very small quantities (for example 1 gram of 18 nm silver nanoparticles at 85 EUR per gram).

Industrial and wholesale sources (Made in China, Alibaba) advertise nano silver powders in the range of about 1.5 USD per gram to several thousand USD per kilogram, depending on grade and volume.

One technical analysis aimed at hydrodynamic-cavitation production assumed a realistic wholesale entry price of around 3 USD per gram to 6 USD per gram for 10–40 nm silver nanoparticles in the mid-2010s to early 2020s.

From these data points, a practical working range for bulk, non-functionalized silver nanoparticles is:

Low industrial range: about 1.5 USD per gram

Mid wholesale range: about 3 USD per gram

High specialty range: 5 USD per gram and above

For the rest of this article, we will use:

A base price of 3 USD per gram (typical wholesale for good quality nano silver).

A low case of 1.5 USD per gram and a high case of 5 USD per gram to show sensitivity.

2. How many grams per day from a 10 L sCO2 machine?

A 10 liter supercritical CO2 system is small-to-medium pilot scale. Actual nanoparticle throughput depends on:

1. The process (supercritical antisolvent, impregnation, RESS).

2. Solute concentration in the feed solution.

3. Target particle size and quality (tighter specs usually mean slower runs).

4. Cycle time (pressurize, run, depressurize, clean, reload).

Because there is no universal standard, we must make explicit assumptions for a reasonable engineering estimate.

Assumptions for a pilot SAS (supercritical antisolvent) process

1. Vessel working volume: 10 liters of sCO2 region.

2. Each batch produces about 100 grams of isolated silver nanoparticles once precipitated, filtered, and dried.

This assumes moderate silver concentration in the feed solution and that powder density and filter capacity do not limit you.

3. Complete cycle time for one batch (pressurize, injection, mixing, precipitation, depressurize, unload, reload): 1.5 hours.

4. Operating time: 12 hours per day (two shifts).

Under these assumptions:

Batches per day: about 8 batches per 12 hour day

Silver nanoparticles per batch: 100 grams

Daily production

8 batches per day × 100 grams per batch = 800 grams per day

This 800 grams per day is a mid-case estimate for a reasonably optimized but not extreme pilot operation.

If we relax or tighten the assumptions:

Conservative case: 50 grams per batch → 400 grams per day

Aggressive case: 150 grams per batch → 1,200 grams per day

So for a 10 liter system, a realistic daily production band is:

About 0.4 kg per day to 1.2 kg per day of silver nanoparticles

with 0.8 kg per day as a good mid-case planning value.

3. Daily revenue estimates

Using the mid-case production of 800 grams per day:

3.1 Base price scenario (3 USD per gram)

Production: 800 grams per day

Price: 3 USD per gram

Daily revenue = 800 grams × 3 USD per gram = 2,400 USD per day

3.2 Low price scenario (1.5 USD per gram)

Production: 800 grams per day

Price: 1.5 USD per gram

Daily revenue = 800 grams × 1.5 USD per gram = 1,200 USD per day

3.3 High price scenario (5 USD per gram)

Production: 800 grams per day

Price: 5 USD per gram

Daily revenue = 800 grams × 5 USD per gram = 4,000 USD per day

So for a 10 liter sCO2 nanoparticle line running 12 hours per day, a practical daily revenue range is:

Roughly 1,200 USD per day at low industrial pricing

Around 2,400 USD per day at a mid-range wholesale price

Up to 4,000 USD per day if you can consistently sell into higher-value markets (medical, specialty coatings, branded antimicrobial products)

If we translate that to an annual view (for example 250 operating days per year):

Low case: 1,200 USD × 250 ≈ 300,000 USD per year

Base case: 2,400 USD × 250 ≈ 600,000 USD per year

High case: 4,000 USD × 250 ≈ 1,000,000 USD per year

These figures are gross revenue and do not include silver feedstock cost, utilities, labor, depreciation, or quality assurance.

4. Business and process considerations

4.1 Silver feedstock cost

Silver feedstock is a significant component of cost. If bulk silver metal costs on the order of 0.7–1 USD per gram (depending on market price and form), then at 3 USD per gram selling price you have:

Roughly 1 USD per gram for raw silver

About 2 USD per gram gross margin before processing and overhead

Margin improves if you can:

Buy silver at lower prices in bulk, or

Sell the nanoparticle product at premium prices in high-end markets.

4.2 Value add through functionalization

Bare nano silver sells at one level; functionalized or integrated nano silver can sell much higher:

Pre-formulated antimicrobial coatings

Nano silver impregnated filters or textiles

Ready-to-use conductive inks for printed electronics

In these cases you are selling a solution, not just powder, which can significantly increase revenue per kilogram of silver used.

4.3 Regulatory and safety

Any business plan around silver nanoparticles must factor in:

Worker safety (nano powders and dispersions)

Environmental regulations on silver discharge

Product approvals in medical, food, or water-contact applications

Your sCO2 process can help here: it is a clean, low-residual-solvent route that can be marketed as environmentally aligned compared to more solvent-heavy methods.

5. Positioning a 10 L sCO2 system in the silver nanoparticle market

With the numbers above, you can credibly describe your 10 liter supercritical CO2 system as:

A pilot to niche production unit capable of producing several hundred grams to over a kilogram of nano silver per day.

A platform for higher-margin, custom nano silver products rather than bulk commodity powder.

A flexible tool that can switch between recipes (particle size, capping agents, substrates) to serve multiple customers.

Emphasize:

The 10 liter supercritical CO2 nanoparticle system can produce on the order of 0.5 to 1 kilogram of premium silver nanoparticles per day, corresponding to roughly $1,200 to $4,000 USD of gross revenue per operating day, depending on product grade and contract pricing.”

6. Conclusion

Silver nanoparticles occupy a sweet spot between technical feasibility and commercial value for a supercritical CO2 platform. Current market data suggest realistic selling prices in the range of $1.5 to $5 USD per gram, depending on quality and volume.

With a 10 liter sCO2 system running a supercritical antisolvent or related process, a mid-case output of about 800 grams per day is achievable under reasonable assumptions. At a wholesale price of around $3 USD per gram, that translates to roughly $2,400 USD in daily revenue and around $600,000 USD per year for 250 operating days, before costs.

While these numbers require detailed process and market validation, they illustrate the potential of repositioning a simple extraction skid as a silver nanoparticle production asset with attractive revenue per unit of installed capacity.

Note: Retail value of silver nano particles can be from $10-$100 per gram.

Infinity Turbine Sales | Plans | Consulting TEL: 1-608-238-6001 Email: greg@infinityturbine.com

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