High-temperature plasmas chemical routes

Investigation of chemical reactions in thermal plasma devices operating at atmospheric pressure involves the use of the plasma as an energy source for the activation of endothermic reactions, which can also be carried out by more conventional high-temperature techniques. It is hoped that the use of plasma will result in the formation of either a cheaper product than the conventional route, or one with superior physical or chemical properties. 

This work reports the development of a polymeric/sol-gel route for the deposition of silicon carbide and silicon oxycarbide thin films for applications such as heat-, corrosion-, and wear-resistant coatings, coatings on fibers for controlling the interaction with the matrix in ceramic matrix composites, or films in electronic and optoelectronic devices. This method, in which the pre-ceramic films are converted to a ceramic coating either by a conventional high temperature annealing or by ion irradiation, is alternative to conventional methods such as chemical or physical vapor deposition (CVD, PVD), molecular beam epitaxy, sputtering, plasma spray, or laser ablation, which are not always practical or cost efficient. 

---