Method of making metallic powders by aerosol thermolysis

US5928405A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Degussa AG · DE
• Particle Technology, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Madhav B. Ranade · Bethesda, US
• Dan V. Goia · Potsdam, US
• Geoffrey Varga · Ellicott City, US
• Bernard W. Gamson · Potomac, US
• John Bara · Honolulu, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 21, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 27, 1999
• Expiry date: May 21, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B22F2998/00
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An economical process and associated hardware for commercial manufacture of controllable submicrometer size metallic powders for electronic and other applications. The method is based on the preparation of a stable high concentration precursor solution, production of a high density aerosol mist of the precursor solutions, selection of mist droplets with upper and lower size bounds, controlled drying of the droplets, their conversion to metallic powder in a high temperature gaseous atmosphere and the separation of the powders from carrier gases without significant loss inside the process hardware.