United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

J Emery Cormier

Meckie T Harris

Alton F Armington

John J Larkin

The growth of bismuth silicate crystals occurs in a high pressure vessel or autoclave using a hydrothermal growth process. The nutrient material is placed in a sealed container of noble metal, liner, along with a solvent to a selected fill level. A filler fluid is also placed between the liner and the pressure vessel. The oriented seeds are placed in the cooler top seed zone over a baffle that slows the movement of supersaturated liquid from the hotter lower nutrient zone. Using a selected heating schedule for the top and the bottom zones, a plurality of large crystals are grown in the seed zone. The temperature differential is about 5.degree. C.

Growing community of inventors

Concord, MA, United States of America

J Emery Cormier