Flame-assisted flash sintering
AssigneenGimat Co.
InventorsAndrew Tye Hunt, Stephen Johnson, Ganesh Venugopal
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Abstract
The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method of sintering inorganic powder coatings on substrates, and includes a flame and an electric plasma. The method is capable of being used in an open atmospheric environment. The substrate is electrically conductive and is used as one electrode while the flame is used as the other electrode that is moved over the areas of the powder coating to be sintered. An electrical current is used to cause a plasma produced through the flame, resulting in a combined energy and temperature profile sufficient for inorganic powder-powder and powder-substrate bonding. This method is referred to as flame-assisted flash sintering” (FAFS).
Claims21
A FAFS method of manufacturing a coated substrate, the method comprising:
- a. providing a substrate having an exposed first surface
- b. providing a powder having of a plurality of particles
- c. disposing said powder to said first surface of said substrate to form a powder layer
- d. providing a flammable gas capable of creating a flame
- e. providing a flame head, burner, or torch capable of dispensing said flammable gas toward said powder layer on said substrate
- f. creating a flame near or on a first electrode so that a high voltage current can pass from the flame, through the powder layer and substrate to a second electrode connected to said substrate
- g. electrically energizing said electrodes causing a current flow through said flame and powder layer
- h. consolidating or sintering said powder on said substrate in said current flow area.
A device for sintering a powder coating on to a substrate comprising:
- a. at least one fuel source capable of supplying a flammable gas fuel
- b. a fuel delivery means such as a control valve, mass-flow controller or rotameter, capable of delivering at least one gaseous fuel to a torch
- c. said torch capable of producing a flame of sufficient temperature to produce chemically and thermally generated ions as constituents of a flame plasma
- d. an electrical circuit configured to apply 100 V to 2000 V of electrical potential and control a desired flow of current of 1 mA to 100 mA through said flame plasma and create an arc plasma
- e. a controller or electrical circuit capable of controlling said current or said voltage
- f. a traversing means capable of traversing said torch relative to the substrate while said plasma is energized with current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.