Method and apparatus for a porous electrospray emitter
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPaulo C. Lozano, Steven Mark Arestie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.
Claims20
A method of forming one or more emitter bodies made of porous ceramic xerogel comprising:
- preparing a gel solution comprising a solvent, an acidic aluminum salt, a polymer, and a proton scavenger;
- providing a mold for one or more emitter bodies, each emitter body of the one or more emitter bodies comprising a base and a tip;
- pouring the gel solution into the mold;
- drying the gel solution in the mold to form the one or more emitter bodies made from the porous ceramic xerogel.
A method of forming one or more emitter bodies made from porous ceramic material comprising:
- preparing a slurry of at least silica, water, and a ceramic component;
- providing a mold for one or more emitter bodies, each emitter body of the one or more emitter bodies comprising a base and a tip;
- pouring the slurry into the mold;
- freezing the slurry in the mold to form a frozen slurry;
- freeze drying the frozen slurry to form the one or more emitter bodies made from the porous ceramic material.
A method of forming one or more emitter bodies made from porous ceramic material comprising:
- preparing a gel solution comprising a solvent, an acidic aluminum salt, a polymer, and a proton scavenger;
- drying the solution in the mold to form a porous ceramic xerogel;
- grinding the porous ceramic xerogel to form ground porous ceramic xerogel;
- preparing a slurry of at least silica, water, and the ground porous ceramic xerogel;
- providing a mold for one or more emitter bodies, each emitter body of the one or more emitter bodies comprising a base and a tip;
- pouring the slurry into the mold;
- freezing the slurry in the mold to form a frozen slurry;
- freeze drying the frozen slurry to form the one or more emitter bodies made from the porous ceramic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.