Wire spark erosion

Keywords carbon nanomaterials, exploding wires, spark erosion, fullerene-like clusters, ferromagnetic nanomaterials... 

Figure 2.5 Honeycomb catalyst made of microstructured rhodium foils. The single foils (left) have been machined by wire spark erosion and then bonded to form the honeycomb (center, right SEM).

There were developed two new technologies for manufacturing of novel carbon nanomaterials (fullerenes, nanotubes, carbonic nanoclusters) based on the idea of high-energy plasmochemistry synthesis with the use of the methods of electrical wire explosion and spark erosion of graphite and metallic materials (nickel, iron, copper) in organic medium. 

An important role of the catalysts (Ni, Cu, Fe) for the spectral composition, structural state and physical properties of the carbon nanomaterials produced with the electrical wire explosion and spark erosion methods was established. 

The surface temperatures are measured by a thermocouple spotwelded to the emitter base. The Pt field emitter is obtained by electrochemically etching a wire (99.99 % purity) of 0.1 mm 0 in dilute solutions of KCN at 2-4 V ac. Ru was cut by spark erosion from a boule and etched in dilute HC1. Cleaning of the surfaces was performed in situ by cycles of heat treatment and field evaporation. 

Wire-EDM (spark erosion cutting, wire erosion). 

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