Method and apparatus for direct electrothermal-physical conversion of ceramic into nanopowder
First Claim
1. A system for producing powder, comprising:
- a reactor vessel having an interior cavity with two open-ended exit ports;
an anode mounted adjacent to one of the exit ports;
a cathode mounted adjacent to the other of the exit ports; and
wherein at least portions of the anode and the cathode are vaporized for generating powder via both exit ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for synthesizing nanosized powders utilizes a hybrid exploding wire device containing a solid metal wire fuse in the bore of a tube that is open at each end. The ends of the fuse are connected to electrodes on the ends of the tube. The electrodes are designed to erode to maintain a heavy metal plasma. The bore may comprise a corresponding ceramic to be produced, and a microcrystalline powder of a corresponding ceramic may be retained within the bore. An electrical discharge vaporizes and ionizes the fuse. The tube confines the radial expansion of the plasma such that the plasma exits from both ends of the tube where it reacts with a suitable gas to form nanoscale particles. In addition, the plasma gas ablates and vaporizes a portion of the bore wall to contribute to the nanoceramic synthesis. Other alternatives include replacing the fuse with a thin conductive sheath or a consumable metal insert.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for producing powder, comprising:
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a reactor vessel having an interior cavity with two open-ended exit ports;
an anode mounted adjacent to one of the exit ports;
a cathode mounted adjacent to the other of the exit ports; and
whereinat least portions of the anode and the cathode are vaporized for generating powder via both exit ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for producing powder, comprising:
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a reactor vessel having an interior cavity with two open-ended exit ports;
an anode mounted adjacent to one of the exit ports;
a cathode mounted adjacent to the other of the exit ports; and
production means for generating powder via both exit ports in response to a discharge. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electrothermal gun for producing nanoscale particles, comprising:
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a reactor vessel having a cylindrical bore with two open ends and a reactor chamber at the ends containing a reactor gas;
an anode mounted to one of the ends of the bore;
a cathode mounted to the other of the ends of the bore;
ignition means associated with the reactor vessel for initiating a discharge therein; and
production means located within the bore of the reactor vessel for vaporizing in response to the discharge and forcing plasma to exit from both ends of the bore to generate nanoscale particles in the reactor chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of producing powder, comprising:
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(a) providing a reactor vessel with a cavity having two open-ended exit ports, an anode, and a cathode;
(b) applying a voltage across the anode and cathode to initiate a discharge;
then(c) vaporizing material in response to the discharge to form a plasma that exits both exit ports to generate powder. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification