High-yield synthesis of nanostructured boron phosphide by a pyrotechnic method
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsZhaohua Luan, Lauren A. Morris, Anthony P. Shaw, Christopher D. Haines, Jay C. Poret
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Abstract
A simplified method for synthesizing boron phosphide at high yields. The method requires mixing of boron phosphate and magnesium metal without diluents into a homogenous mixture, loosely packing the mixture at less than 20,000 psi and igniting the mixture using an energy input that is not greater than 20% of the reaction energy output to create a self-propagating high-temperature reaction wherein the boron phosphate and magnesium metal is completely burned during the reaction to synthesize boron phosphide at high yields.
Claims14
A process for producing high yield crystalline boron phosphide comprising:
- a. mixing a composition consisting essentially of boron phosphate and magnesium metal into a homogenous mixture;
- b. loading the homogenous mixture into a column structure;
- c. packing the homogenous mixture at a pressure of 0 psi to 20,000 psi to form a pellet;
- d. igniting the pellet using a pyrotechnic igniter wherein said pyrotechnic igniter provides an energy input that is no greater than 218 calories/gram of the pellet to initiate a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis reaction of the pellet;
- and
- c. recovering the crystalline boron phosphide.
A process for increasing the yield of crystalline boron phosphide comprising of:
- a. Mixing a composition comprising boron phosphate and magnesium metal into a homogenous mixture, wherein the mass ratio of boron phosphate and magnesium is about 1:1
- b. loading the homogenous mixture into a column structure;
- c. packing the homogenous mixture at a pressure of 0 psi to 10,000 psi to form a pellet;
- d. igniting the pellet using a pyrotechnic igniter wherein said pyrotechnic igniter provides an energy input that is no greater than 218 calories/gram of the pellet at a rate of 0.9 in/sec to 20 in/sec to the pellet to initiate a self-sustaining high temperature synthesis reaction of the pellet;
- and
- e. recovering the crystalline boron phosphide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.