Microwave plasma chemical synthesis of ultrafine powders
AssigneeMaterials Modifciation, Inc.
InventorsKrupashankara M. Sethuram, Raja Kalyanaraman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to the production of ultrafine powders using a microwave plasma apparatus and chemical synthesis technique. Microwaves generated by a magnetron (1) are passed through waveguides (2) before they arrive at the head of a plasmatron (3). These high energy microwaves ionize a plasma gas, thus releasing large amounts of energy. The energy thus released is utilized to initiate and sustain chemical reactions between the desired elements being pumped in a spiral pattern into the plasmatron (3). The reaction products are quenched rapidly in a reactor column (4) into ultrafine powders.
Claims16
An apparatus for the microwave synthesis of materials, comprising:
- a microwave generator;
- a waveguide through which a microwave generated by said microwave generator passes into a plasma zone positioned such that a plasma is capable of heating reactants to form reaction products;
- a plasma gas inlet offset at an angle so that plasma gas passing through the inlet enters the plasma zone in a spiral-shaped pattern;
- and
- a reaction products collector downstream from said plasma zone for collecting the reaction products.
An apparatus for the microwave synthesis of materials, comprising:
- a microwave generator;
- a waveguide through which a microwave generated by said microwave generator passes into a plasma zone positioned such that a plasma is capable of heating reactants to form reaction products;
- a microwave damper at a side of the plasma zone away from the waveguide for damping microwaves that have passed through the plasma zone to thereby reduce the power of a reflected microwave by at least 60%;
- and
- a reaction products collector downstream from said plasma zone for collecting the reaction products.
A method for the microwave synthesis of materials, said method comprising:
- introducing a plasma gas into a microwave applicator;
- introducing at least one reactant into the microwave applicator;
- generating a microwave in a microwave generator;
- directing the microwave into the microwave applicator containing the plasma gas to create a heated plasma in a plasma zone;
- absorbing the microwave to reduce the microwave reflection off of a surface of the microwave applicator by at least 60%;
- and
- causing a reaction in the plasma zone thereby converting the at least one reactant into a reaction product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.