Southwest Research Institute

Edward Langa

Ronghua Wei

Kent Edward Coulter

Vasiliki Zorbas Poenitzsch

James H Arps

Christopher Rincon

Kuang-Tsan Kenneth Chiang

Sabrina L Lee

Chris Rincon

A method and system for generating a surface treating plasma. Gas is provided to a power conducting electrode and flows through the power conducting electrode. Power pulses are applied to the power conducting electrode in the range of 40 kW to 100 kW with a DC generator, at a frequency in the range of 1 Hz to 62.5 kHz, and with a pulse duration in the range of 0.1 microseconds to 3,000 microseconds. Peak currents in the range of 100 Amps to 400 Amps are produced and plasma is formed from the gas. A substrate surface may then be treated with the plasma.

High power impulse plasma source

An atmospheric pressure pulsed arc plasma source and method of using including a housing having a housing opening therein; an insulator tube having an insulator tube opening therein, retained within the housing opening; and a conductive tube, retained within the insulator tube opening. A nozzle is retained by the housing. A feed path is defined in the conductive tube and the nozzle and a gas feed port is operatively coupled to the feed path. Feedstock is provided in the feed path and electrically coupled to the conductive tube. A pulsed DC power source provides a pulsed voltage to the conductive tube. The plasma source emits a discharge stream having a temperature that is less than 50&#xb0; C. from the nozzle and a coating is formed on a substrate.

Atmospheric pressure pulsed arc plasma source and methods of coating therewith

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method utilizing double glow discharge for sputter cleaning of a selected surface. The surface may include the inner surface of a hollow substrate such as a tube which inner surface may then be coated via magnetron sputter deposition.

Apparatus and method utilizing a double glow discharge plasma for sputter cleaning

A method of performing plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP), particularly suited for processing three-dimensional objects. One or more such objects are placed in a conductive cage having solid or mesh walls. The cage completely encloses the objects. A voltage is applied to the cage, and the plasma is generated, resulting in the plasma being contained within the cage.

Method and apparatus for high rate, uniform plasma processing of three-dimensional objects

The present disclosure relates to a coating and a method of applying such coating that may include nanocrystals of a transition metal compound embedded in an amorphous phase or layered structure of transition metal compounds with an amorphous phase. The transition metal compound may be selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal silicides and combinations thereof. The amorphous matrix may include a ceramic.

Erosion resistant coatings

A method for depositing a nanostructured coating comprising chromium or a copper-chromium mixture on a workpiece. The workpiece may comprise a hollowed structure such as a rocket or jet engine combustion chamber liner. The method comprises providing a magnetron and an external sputter target material comprising chromium or a copper-chromium composite and effecting a magnetron sputter deposition to deposit a substantially uniform nanostructured coating comprising said sputter target material on said workpiece. The method may include plasma enhancement wherein a filament is utilized to produce a plasma that effects an ion bombardment on the workpiece during the magnetron sputter deposition process. The invention also includes the nanostructured coatings deposited by these methods and workpieces coated thereby.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Edward Langa