IDEA #12PQSI Nanometric Powders

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN UKRAINE NANOMETRIC POWDERS Description As it is known, at present, nanometric powders of pure metals and different compounds are produced by: plasma chemical method, reducing in the stream of gases, low(cid:28)tem(cid:28) perature synthesis, rapid heating of organic salts also by methods based on a plasma technology and evaporation and followed by condensation processes. We have worked(cid:28) out a technology of production of nanostructural powders of pure metals. The technology envisages evaporation of starting materials through electron beam and followed condensation onto the surface of condenser supercooled to a proper temperature. In case of simultaneous condensa(cid:28) tion of several substances on substrate is created such a possibility of formation of non(cid:28)equilibrium structures which do not generally exist and it is difficult or impossi(cid:28) ble their production by traditional methods. As it shows X(cid:28) (cid:28)ray diffraction analysis we have produced amorphous nanometric powders of cobalt, nickel, titanium and molyb(cid:28) denum. Also, nanostructural coatings of cobalt and titani(cid:28) um are obtained on copper substrate. Innovative Aspect and Main Advantages Physical processes of evaporation and followed condensa(cid:28) tion of vapor stream are constituents of unique technolog(cid:28) ical complex that gives unlimited possibilities to create structure of solid body. Therefore worked(cid:28)out, by us, elec(cid:28) tron(cid:28)beam technology of production of powders is easy to accomplish. It does not require any preliminary treatment of starting materials. Focused electron beam enables to evaporate the most refractory elements and chemical com(cid:28) pounds and these give free choice of starting materials. Application of water(cid:28)cooled copper crucibles and carrying out the process under vacuum ensure high purity of vapor stream and as a result of final product. Vacuum technology enables to charge powders into special containers and pres(cid:28) surize them under vacuum in one technological cycle. Powders of some metals, e.g. nickel and cobalt do not require additional measures of passivation and pressuriza(cid:28) tion. Fig. 1. Macrostructures, electron micro and diffraction photos of nickel (a) and cobalt (b) powders Areas of Application Micro and nanoelectronics, medicine, nuclear power gen(cid:28) eration, space technology, machine(cid:28)building industry. Stage of Development The technology has been sent to obtain a patent for an inventation (to SAQPATENT, Georgia). Work is being carried out to apply the technology to industrial scale. Contacte Detals Georgian Technical University Chair of Metal Process Engineering & Material Science 77, Kostava Str., 0175, Tbilisi, Georgia Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Mikhael Okrosashvili Tel.: (995 32) 33 49 21 E(cid:28)mail: mokrosashvili@yahoo.com 56 SCIENCE AND INNOVATION. Special Issue, 2007