Copper powders methods for producing powders and devices fabricated from same
AssigneeCabot Corporation
InventorsToivo T. Kodas, Mark J. Hampden-Smith, James Caruso, Daniel J. Skamser, Quint H. Powell, Clive D. Chandler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Copper metal powders, methods for producing copper metal powders and products incorporating the powders. The copper metal powders have a small particle size, narrow size distribution and a spherical morphology. The method includes forming the metal particles in a continuous manner.
Claims92
A method for the production of copper metal particles, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating an aerosol of droplets from a liquid wherein said liquid comprises a copper metal precursor and wherein said droplets have a size distribution such that at least about 80 weight percent of said droplets have a size of from about 1 μm to about 5 μm;
- b) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- and
- c) heating said droplets by carrying said droplets through a heating zone having a reaction temperature of not greater than about 1400 C. to remove liquid therefrom and form copper metal particles comprising at least about 50 weight percent copper metal, wherein the aerosol flow rate during said moving step is at least about 2 liters per hour.
A method for the production of metal composite particles, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising a copper metal precursor and a non-metallic phase precursor;
- b) generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution;
- c) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- d) heating said droplets to remove liquid therefrom and form metal composite particles comprising copper metal and a non-metallic phase.
A method for the production of metal alloy particles comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising a copper metal precursor and a second metal precursor, wherein said second metal precursor comprises a second metal salt dissolved in said solution;
- b) ultrasonically generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution;
- c) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- d) heating said droplets by carrying said droplets through a heating zone having a reaction temperature of not greater than about 1400° C. to remove liquid therefrom and form metal alloy particles comprising copper metal and a second metal, wherein the aerosol flow rate during said moving step is at least about 0.5 liters per hour.
A method for the production of coated copper metal particles, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising a copper metal precursor;
- b) ultrasonically generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution;
- c) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- d) heating said droplets by carrying said droplets through a heating zone having a reaction temperature of not greater than about 1400° C. to remove liquid therefrom and form metal particles comprising copper metal;
- and
- e) coating an outer surface of said copper metal particles, wherein the aerosol flow rate during said moving step is at least about 2.0 liters per hour.
A method for the production of metal alloy particles, comprising the steps of:
- a) forming a liquid solution comprising a copper metal precursor and a second metal precursor, wherein said second metal precursor comprises particles suspended in a liquid solution;
- b) ultrasonically generating an aerosol of droplets from said liquid solution;
- c) moving said droplets in a carrier gas;
- d) heating said droplets by carrying said droplets through a heating zone having a reaction temperature of not greater than about 1400° C. to remove liquid therefrom and form metal alloy particles comprising copper metal and a second metal, wherein the aerosol flow rate during said moving step is at least about 0.5 liters per hour.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.