Vacuum, atomization

Vacuum atomization is a commercial batch process)180 The development of vacuum atomization started in the mid 1960 s, concurrent with the development of inert gas atomization. In 1970, a patent for the vacuum atomization method was issued to Homogeneous Metals, Inc. Using vacuum atomization, this company routinely produces superalloy powders of fine size without great consumption of argon, giving powders free of inert gas filled porosity. Wentzell1 801 has made detailed description of this proprietary process. 

Vacuum atomization is a method conceptually similar to effervescent atomization. As schematically depicted in Fig. 2.19, a vacuum atomization facility consists of two chambers, one above the other. The overall dimension is about 18 x 4 m. In the lower chamber, metal is first induction-melted under vacuum and subsequently 

Process parameters of importance include gas pressure, H2 concentration in solution in liquid metal, diameter of the guide tube, and melt superheat. The concentration of H2 gas in solution in the liquid metal ranges from 0.0001 to 0.001 w/o, proportional to the square root of H2 partial pressure that is in turn controlled by the composition of the gas mixture. For a given H2 partial pressure, the concentration of H2 gas in the liquid metal is dependent on the metal type and superheat. 

The arrangement of the melting and vacuum spray chambers is critical for guiding the liquid metal to eject into the vacuum chamber. Difficulties exist in precisely controlling the expulsion of the liquid metal into the vacuum chamber. Therefore, flaky droplets may be formed in vacuum atomization. Although vacuum atomization was developed mainly for the production of high-purity nickel and cobalt based superalloy powders, it is also applied to atomize the alloys of aluminum, copper and iron. 

---

Carpick R W, Agrait N, Ogletree D F and Salmeron M 1996 Measurement of interfacial shear (friction) with an ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscope J. Vac. Sc/. Technol. B 14 1289... 

Numerous atomization techniques have evolved for the production of metal/alloy powders or as a step in spray forming processes. Atomization of melts may be achieved by a variety of means such as aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, mechanical, ultrasonic, electrostatic, electromagnetic, or pressure effect, or a combination of some of these effects. Some of the atomization techniques have been extensively developed and applied to commercial productions, including (a) two-fluid atomization using gas, water, or oil (i.e., gas atomization, water atomization, oil atomization), (b) vacuum atomization, and (c) rotating electrode atomization. Two-fluid atomization... 

Vacuum Atomization 40-70 Broad size distribution Ni, Co superalloys, Al, Cu, Fe alloys 102 5-100 -0.9 Spherical, smooth,clean particles Difficult to control, Medium EE... 

Ohta, M., et al. (1995), Atomically resolved image of cleaved surfaces of compound semiconductors observed with an ultrahigh vacuum atomic force microscope,/. Vac. Sci. Technol., 13(3), 1265-1267. 

A number of methods that provide information about the structure of a solid surface, its composition, and the oxidation states present have come into use. The recent explosion of activity in scanning probe microscopy has resulted in investigation of a wide variety of surface structures under a range of conditions. In addition, spectroscopic interrogation of the solid-high-vacuum interface elucidates structure and other atomic processes. 

A related advantage of studying crystalline matter is that one can have synnnetry-related operations that greatly expedite the discussion of a chemical bond. For example, in an elemental crystal of diamond, all the chemical bonds are equivalent. There are no tenninating bonds and the characterization of one bond is sufficient to understand die entire system. If one were to know the binding energy or polarizability associated with one bond, then properties of the diamond crystal associated with all the bonds could be extracted. In contrast, molecular systems often contain different bonds and always have atoms at the boundary between the molecule and the vacuum. 

Since solids do not exist as truly infinite systems, there are issues related to their temiination (i.e. surfaces). However, in most cases, the existence of a surface does not strongly affect the properties of the crystal as a whole. The number of atoms in the interior of a cluster scale as the cube of the size of the specimen while the number of surface atoms scale as the square of the size of the specimen. For a sample of macroscopic size, the number of interior atoms vastly exceeds the number of atoms at the surface. On the other hand, there are interesting properties of the surface of condensed matter systems that have no analogue in atomic or molecular systems. For example, electronic states can exist that trap electrons at the interface between a solid and the vacuum [1]. 

Most fiindamental surface science investigations employ single-crystal samples cut along a low-index plane. The single-crystal surface is prepared to be nearly atomically flat. The surface may also be modified in vacuum. For example, it may be exposed to a gas that adsorbs (sticks) to the surface, or a film can be grown onto a sample by evaporation of material. In addition to single-crystal surfaces, many researchers have investigated vicinal, i.e. stepped, surfaces as well as the surfaces of polycrystalline and disordered materials. 

Surfaces are investigated with surface-sensitive teclmiques in order to elucidate fiindamental infonnation. The approach most often used is to employ a variety of techniques to investigate a particular materials system. As each teclmique provides only a limited amount of infonnation, results from many teclmiques must be correlated in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of surface properties. In section A 1.7.5. methods for the experimental analysis of surfaces in vacuum are outlined. Note that the interactions of various kinds of particles with surfaces are a critical component of these teclmiques. In addition, one of the more mteresting aspects of surface science is to use the tools available, such as electron, ion or laser beams, or even the tip of a scaiming probe instrument, to modify a surface at the atomic scale. The physics of the interactions of particles with surfaces and the kinds of modifications that can be made to surfaces are an integral part of this section. 

Electrons are extremely usefiil as surface probes because the distances that they travel within a solid before scattering are rather short. This implies that any electrons that are created deep within a sample do not escape into vacuum. Any technique that relies on measurements of low-energy electrons emitted from a solid therefore provides infonuation from just the outenuost few atomic layers. Because of this inlierent surface sensitivity, the various electron spectroscopies are probably the most usefid and popular teclmiques in surface science. 

For example, energy transfer in molecule-surface collisions is best studied in nom-eactive systems, such as the scattering and trapping of rare-gas atoms or simple molecules at metal surfaces. We follow a similar approach below, discussing the dynamics of the different elementary processes separately. The surface must also be simplified compared to technologically relevant systems. To develop a detailed understanding, we must know exactly what the surface looks like and of what it is composed. This requires the use of surface science tools (section B 1.19-26) to prepare very well-characterized, atomically clean and ordered substrates on which reactions can be studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The most accurate and specific experiments also employ molecular beam teclmiques, discussed in section B2.3. 

The importance of low pressures has already been stressed as a criterion for surface science studies. However, it is also a limitation because real-world phenomena do not occur in a controlled vacuum. Instead, they occur at atmospheric pressures or higher, often at elevated temperatures, and in conditions of humidity or even contamination. Hence, a major tlmist in surface science has been to modify existmg techniques and equipment to pemiit detailed surface analysis under conditions that are less than ideal. The scamiing tunnelling microscope (STM) is a recent addition to the surface science arsenal and has the capability of providing atomic-scale infomiation at ambient pressures and elevated temperatures. Incredible insight into the nature of surface reactions has been achieved by means of the STM and other in situ teclmiques. 

Other atoms and molecules also show similar series of lines, often in the vacuum ultraviolet region, which fit approximately a similar fonuula ... 

Three-photon absorption has also been observed by multiphoton ionization, giving Rydberg states of atoms or molecules [36]. Such states usually require vacuum ultraviolet teclmiques for one-photon spectra, but can be done with a visible or near-ultraviolet laser by tluee-photon absorption. 

Jarvis S P, Yamamoto S-l, Yamada H, Tokumoto H and Pethica J B 1997 Tip-surface interactions studied using a force controlled atomic force microscope in ultrahigh vacuum Appl. Phys. Lett. 70 2238... 

---