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US 2006/0124613 A1Published application
Plasma-assisted heat treatment
AssigneeBTU International, Inc.
InventorsSatyendra Kumar, Devendra Kumar, Michael Dougherty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for plasma-assisted heat treatments are provided. The method can include initiating a heat treating plasma within a cavity (14) by subjecting a gas to electromagnetic radiation in the presence of a plasma catalyst (70), heating the object by exposing the object to the plasma, and maintaining exposure of the object to the plasma for a sufficient period to alter at least one material property of the object.
Claims37
A method of heat treating an object, the method comprising:
- initiating a heat treating plasma within a cavity by subjecting a gas to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency less than about 333 GHz in the presence of a plasma catalyst;
- heating the object by exposing the object to the plasma;
- and
- maintaining exposure of the object to the plasma for a first period of time sufficient to alter at least one material property of the object.
1 more element
A system for heat treating an object, the system comprising:
- a plasma catalyst;
- a vessel in which a first cavity is formed and in which a plasma can be initiated by subjecting a gas to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency of less than about 333 GHz in the presence of the plasma catalyst;
- a radiation source coupled to the first cavity for supplying the radiation to the first cavity;
- a gas inlet arranged on the vessel for connection to a gas source for providing a gas;
- a detector for monitoring a temperature associated with the object;
- and
- a controller that adjusts a power level of the radiation source based on the temperature.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.