Levitation reactor

When a sonic standing wave is set up in air the particles suspended in the air will migrate to the nodes of the sound wave and this phenomenon has been used in a variety of applications. One remarkable consequence of this is the ability to construct a levitation reactor. When the source of ultrasound is above a planar surface, small particles will migrate to the nodes from the surface, i.e. levitate. Studies in such a system are not dissimilar from studies in the zero-gravity conditions of a space shuttle. 

Nanocomposites Pd C, Ni C, and NiPd C were produced in Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch of the RAS. The piece of Pd, Ni or Ni-Pd alloy was heated by induction levitation melting inside of two oppositely directed turns of inductive coil in closed system filled with hydrocarbon containing inert gas (Ar). Evaporation of strongly overheated ( 2000°C) liquid metal drop was performed in the flow of Ar, containing butane or methane. The metal vapors were taken away by the flow of argon into the colder part of reactor where nucleation and condensation of nanoparticles occurred. This... 

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