Method of producing high-purity ultra-fine metal powder
AssigneeUltrafine Technologies Ltd.
InventorErnst Khasin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of producing a high-purity, ultra-fine powder of a first metal, particularly silver, by forming an alloy of the first metal with a second metal, such as aluminum subjecting the alloy to a leaching agent effective to leach out the second metal, leaving a porous first metal agglomerate; mixing the porous first metal agglomerate with a fresh batch of leaching agent; disintegrating the agglomerate and applying ultrasonic oscillations to the mixture to enhance the penetration of the leaching agent into the pores of the agglomerate; removing the leaching agent, leaving the first metal; and washing and drying the first metal.
Claims20
A method of producing a high-purity, ultra-fine powder of a first metal, comprising:
- forming an alloy of said first metal with a second metal;
- subjecting the alloy to a leaching agent effective to leach out said second metal, leaving a porous first metal agglomerate;
- mixing the porous first metal agglomerate with a fresh batch of leaching agent to form a mixture;
- disintegrating the agglomerate in the mixture and applying ultrasonic oscillations to the mixture to enhance the penetration of the leaching agent into the pores of the agglomerate;
- removing the leaching agent, leaving said first metal;
- and
- washing and drying said first metal.
A method of producing high-purity, ultra-fine silver powder, comprising:
- rolling an alloy of silver and aluminum, having a silver content of up to 50% by weight, into thin strips;
- heat-treating the strips to form a homogeneous supersaturated solid solution alloy of silver in aluminum;
- subjecting the supersaturated solid solution alloy to an aluminum-leaching agent, effective to leach out aluminum, leaving a porous, silver agglomerate;
- mixing the porous silver agglomerate with a fresh batch of aluminum-leaching agent to form a mixture;
- thoroughly stirring and applying ultrasonic oscillations to the mixture;
- removing the leaching agent leaving silver;
- and
- washing and drying said silver.
A method of producing a high purity, porous silver agglomerate particularly useful for producing a high-purity, ultra-fine silver powder, comprising:
- rolling an alloy of silver and aluminum, having a silver content of up to 50% by weight, into thin strip;
- heat-treating the strips in an air atmosphere to form a supersaturated solid solution of silver in aluminum;
- surface-cleaning the produced supersaturated alloy;
- and
- subjecting the surface-cleaned supersaturated alloy to an aluminum leaching agent effective to leach out aluminum, leaving a porous silver agglomerate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.