Nonflammable ternary gas mix for high pressure plasmas
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsJohn Edward Chancey, Lawrence Edward Ellis, Larry G Gargol, Srikanth C. Reddy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a nonflammable ternary gas mixture to be used in a plasma machining operation. The ternary gas mixture of the present invention comprises from about 4% to about 6.2% hydrogen, 30% to 50% argon, and the balance nitrogen. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of generating a high pressure plasma is provided. The method of this embodiment comprises introducing the ternary gas mixture of the present invention into a plasma torch apparatus, initiating a plasma in the plasma torch apparatus, and sustaining the plasma with a high voltage between a cathode and an anode.
Claims20
A plasmagenic gas mixture comprising:
- hydrogen gas in an amount of about 4% to about 6.2% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture;
- argon gas in an amount of about 30% to about 50% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture;
- and
- nitrogen gas in an amount of about 44% to about 66% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture.
A method for forming a plasma for use in a plasma arc machining operation, the method comprising:
- a) introducing a plasmagenic gas enters into a plasma torch apparatus wherein the plasmagenic gas comprises:
- hydrogen gas in an amount of about 4% to about 6.2% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture;
- argon gas in an amount of about 30% to about 50% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture;
- and
- nitrogen gas in an amount of about 44% to about 66% of the total volume of the plasmagenic mixture;
- b) initiating a plasma in the plasma torch apparatus;
- and
- c) sustaining the plasma with a constant current power supply;
- wherein the plasma torch apparatus comprises at least one electrode.
The method of 6 further comprising the steps of:
- directing the plasma onto a metallic workpiece;
- and
- moving the plasma over the metallic workpiece;
- wherein the metallic workpiece is the counter electrode and metal is removed from the metallic workpiece by the plasma.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.