Laser vaporization/condensation

Synthesis of Nanostructured Materials Using a Laser Vaporization—Condensation Technique... 

The fonnation of clusters in the gas phase involves condensation of the vapour of the constituents, with the exception of the electrospray source [6], where ion-solvent clusters are produced directly from a liquid solution. For rare gas or molecular clusters, supersonic beams are used to initiate cluster fonnation. For nonvolatile materials, the vapours can be produced in one of several ways including laser vaporization, thennal evaporation and sputtering. 

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of the laser-vaporization supersonic cluster source. Just before the peak of an intense He pulse from the nozzle (at left), a weakly focused laser pulse strikes from the rotating metal rod. The hot metal vapor sputtered from the surface is swept down the condensation channel in dense He, where cluster formation occurs through nucleation. The gas pulse expands into vacuum, with a skinned portion to serve as a collimated cluster bean. The deflection magnet is used to measure magnetic properties, while the final chaiber at right is for measurement of the cluster distribution by laser photoionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy.

Previously, intense beams of metal clusters could only be produced for the most volatile metals. The limitation arose from significant materials problems involved in the construction of high temperature ovens. The development of a source that utilizes laser vaporization and subsequent condensation in a rapidly flowing gas eliminated the materials problem and has enabled just about any material to be studi ed(la,8). 

Rapid solidification and devitrification of amorphous metals and metallic glasses Combustion-flame chemical vapor condensation processes (Kear) Induction-heating chemical vapor condensation processes DC and RF magnetron sputtering, inclusive of the method of thermalization Laser ablation methods Supercritical fluid processing... 

The IR spectrum of 133 was obtained by laser vaporization of graphite and subsequent condensation of the reaction products in solid argon at 10 K. However, only the most intense mode at 1695 cm could be detected. " The antisymmetric stretching vibration of the linear isomer 132 is observed at 1952 cm . " " The assignment could be corroborated by measuring the spectra of isotopically labeled compounds. In a more recent theoretical work, the UV spectra of 133 and 134 were calculated, " " but experimental data are lacking so far. 

Ullrafine particles (UFPs) of metal and semiconductor nitrides have been synthesized by two major techniques one is the reactive gas condensation method, and the other is the chemical vapor condensation method. The former is modified from the so-called gas condensation method (or gas-evaporation method) (13), and a surrounding gas such as N2 or NII2 is used in the evaporation chamber instead of inert gases. Plasma generation has been widely adopted in order to enhance the nitridation in the particle formation process. The latter is based on the decomposition and the subsequent chemical reaction of metal chloride, carbonate, hydride, and organics used as raw materials in an appropriate reactive gas under an energetic environment formed mainly by thermal healing, radiofrequency (RF) plasma, and laser beam. Synthesis techniques are listed for every heal source for the reactive gas condensation method and for the chemical vapor condensation method in Tables 8.1.1 and 8.1.2, respectively. 

Fig. 8.1.12 Schematic illustration of the apparatus for laser-induced chemical vapor condensation. (From Ref. 63. Reprinted with permission of the American Ceramic Society, PO Box 6136, Westerville, OH 43086-6136. Copyright 1982 by the American Ceramic Society. All rights reserved.)...

Figure 1. Tube furnace laser vaporization apparatus used by Haufler et al. (1991) to produce high yields of C 0F. The 532 nm doubled Nd YAG pulse vaporizes C from the rotating graphite target into the inert carrier gas stream. The fullerenes condense just outside the oven on the tube wall.

Laser vaporization reactor. At LTT-Erlangen, first investigations with other nanomaterials have been carried out in cooperation with the group of Staupendahl at the University of Jena in a laser vaporization reactor (LVR) (Staupendahl, 2003). The basic principle of this reactor is dispersing raw material by a fountain into the CO2 laser beams, in which particles are vaporized and nanoparticles are formed by the subsequent condensation. As the LII measurement volume was located slightly above the vaporization zone, it was not possible to prevent coarse structures of material to occur inside the measurement volume (Figure 20). 

LI Vapor condensation, electrical discharge, and laser pyrolysis... 

This chapter discusses four methods of gas phase ceramic powder synthesis by flames, fiunaces, lasers, and plasmas. In each case, the reaction thermodynamics and kinetics are similar, but the reactor design is different. To account for the particle size distribution produced in a gas phase synthesis reactor, the population balance must account for nudeation, atomistic growth (also called vapor condensation) and particle—particle segregation. These gas phase reactors are real life examples of idealized plug flow reactors that are modeled by the dispersion model for plve flow. To obtain narrow size distribution ceramic powders by gas phase synthesis, dispersion must be minimized because it leads to a broadening of the particle size distribution. Finally the gas must be quickly quenched or cooled to freeze the ceramic particles, which are often liquid at the reaction temperature, and thus prevent further aggregation. 

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