US 4,096,823 AGranted

Apparatus for metallization of fibers

AssigneeUniversity of Virginia

InventorHermann J. Schladitz

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Abstract

A method for decontaminating and subsequently metallizing a filament comprises: Passing the filament through the inner tube of a first chamber for decontamination which comprises two concentric tubes having an annular space therebetween, the inner tube of which has a series of fine holes therein; wherein said inner tube is heated and said annular space contains an inert gas such that said gas flows through said holes in heated jet streams which impinge upon said filament, thereby heating and decontaminating said filament; Passing said heated and decontaminated filament into a second chamber for metallization also comprising two concentric tubes having an annular space therebetween, the inner tube of which has a series of fine holes therein; wherein said inner tube of said second chamber is heated and said annular space of said second chamber contains a gaseous, thermally decomposable metal compound such that said gaseous metal compound flows through said holes in heated jet streams and impinges upon said heated and decontaminated filament, thereby thermally decomposing said metal compound and metallizing said filament. An apparatus for carrying out this method is also provided, a key feature of which is the use of a thin membrane with a small pinhole to separate the two chambers.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus for decontamination and metallization of a filament which comprises

a first decontamination chamber having two concentric tubes having an annular space therebetween, the inner tube of which has a series of holes throughout its length;
heating means for heating the entire length of said inner tube;
means in the outer tube to introduce a gas into said annular space;
a second metallization chamber having two concentric tubes having an annular space therebetween, the inner tube of which has a series of holes throughout its length;
second heating means for heating the entire length of said inner tube of said metallization chamber;
means in the outer tube of said second chamber to introduce gas into said second annular space;
an intermediate chamber, one end of which is connected to one end of said first chamber and the other end of which is connected to one end of said second chamber, such that the adjoining ends of said annular spaces in said first and second chambers are sealed air tight;
a membrane within said intermediate chamber;
said membrane disposed transverse to the axial direction of said inner tubes;
said membrane dividing said intermediate chamber into two separate regions and said membrane having a small pinhole aperture colinear with the axes of said inner tubes;
said intermediate chamber being fully enclosed except that said inner tubes of said first and second chambers project into the respective ends of said intermediate chamber and except that in each of said regions, said intermediate chamber contains a gas outlet;
means for moving said filament through the inner tubes of said first and second chambers and through said aperture in said membrane;
and
air-tight sealing means for sealing the ends of said annular spaces of said first and second chambers which are unattached to said intermediate chamber.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.