United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

University Court of the University of Dundee

International Business Machines Corporation

James A Cairns

James L Woodhead

Richard Stuart Nelson

James Thomson

Michael L Noakes

Robert L Nelson

Stanley Frederick Pugh

James F Ziegler

Edward S Lane

James H Stephen

Michael J Davies

Norman Jorgensen

John D Ramsay

David L Segal

John E Antill

David C Sammon

Michael Joseph Holdoway

Graham James Berry

Rhydwyn William Barnfield

Thomas C Prentice

Roderick Allan George Gibson

Paul G Deards

Andrew Hourd

A process for the production of an aqueous dispersion of metal nano particles comprising palladium is provided. The process comprises the admixture of a water soluble organic polymer, a palladium salt and a first reducing agent to an aqueous liquid. The first reducing agent is a metal-containing polymer which has reducing properties or a saccharide which has reducing properties. The nano particles can include a second metal. The dispersions can be used as catalysts for electroless plating, to produce heterogeneous catalysts and in the production of anti-microbial devices and compositions.

Nano-particle dispersions

An apparatus for removing particles and/or other undesirable components from a gas stream includes a container containing a liquid, an inlet for the gas stream permitting wetting of at least a portion of the gas stream, and an outlet from the container for cleaned gas. The inlet and/or the outlet includes condensing means for cooling desired fractions of the gas stream and/or cleaned gas. The liquid may be such as to wet the particulates, thereby retaining them in the liquid while the gas passes through the liquid to the outlet. Methods for removing particulates and/or other undesirable components from a gas stream are also provided.

Method and apparatus for removing particulates

There is described a method of chemically depositing a substance. The method is of utility in the direct manufacture of integrated circuits and in the manufacture of a photomask for use in production of integrated circuits. The method involves the use of a compound which degrades into a deposit and a residue when a radiant beam (e.g. a laser beam) or a particle beam (e.g. an electron beam) is applied. The residue and any unreacted compound may be washed off the substrate to which it has been applied. Nanoscale dimensions of the deposit can be achieved. A particularly suitable organometallic compound is tetra-sec butyl diaurum difluoride.

Method of deposition

Oxidation and/or combustion catalyst for use in a catalytic exhaust

A catalyst for the oxidation of carbonaceous particulates carried in a gaseous phase, for example for the treatment of Diesel engine exhaust emissions, comprises a substrate for permitting flow of the gaseous phase therethrough coated with a high surface area ceramic oxide (for example alumina made by a vapor phase condensation method such as flame hydrolysis), cerium(IV) oxide, and a compound such as an oxide, carbonate or nitrate of an element of Group 1A of the Periodic Table. The substrate may be in the form of a ceramic honeycomb such as of cordierite, or of metal sheets (e.g. of an aluminium bearing ferritic alloy) shaped and wound to define gas flow channels, or of ceramic or metal foams, particles or wires in random or structured arrangement. The catalyst may include other components (e.g. transition metals such as Co, Cu, and Mn; Pb; and precious metals such as Pt and Pd) for enhancing performance.

Catalyst for the oxidation of carbonaceous particulates and method of

A substrate for use in the manufacture of electronic devices, comprising a lamina made of an aluminum-bearing ferritic steel coated with an adherent layer of a material having a high dielectric strength, a low dielectric constant and a co-efficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to that of the steel lamina.

Substrates for electronic devices

Coated ceramic substrates or structures having a barrier layer against alpha-particle radiation and integrated circuits prepared therefrom. Ceramic surfaces having reduced or modified surface roughness are also provided.

Coated ceramic substrates for mounting integrated circuits

A substrate is provided with a refractory oxide coating by contacting the substrate with a dispersion of a solid particulate phase in a liquid phase, subsequently followed by firing to produce the coating, the dispersion comprising at least a first and a second refractory oxide component. In order to produce a coating of controlled purity, e.g. for certain catalytic, electronic or other appications, the first refractory oxide component (e.g. an alumina) is obtained from a purifiable liquid or solid precursor therefor and constitutes part at least of the solid phase, and the second refractory oxide component is either obtained from a purifiable liquid or solid precursor therefor and constitutes part of the solid phase or is a purifiable liquid precursor (e.g. a water-soluble silicone) constituting part at least of the liquid phase.

Coating of substrates

Carbonaceous deposition on the surface of steel cracker tubes in chemical plant for the thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is a serious problem. It is met, in the invention, by providing the surface with a refractory oxide coating by contacting the surface with a sol comprising an aqueous dispersion of substantially unaggregated primary particles, the sol being capable of conversion to a gel the bulk density of which being at least 40% of the theoretical density of the refractory oxide when measured at ambient temperature and the gel being convertible to the refractory material, converting the sol to the gel, and firing.

Method of coating steel substrates to reduce carbonaceous deposition

A device for treating a fluid, in particular a supported catalyst for motor vehicle exhaust gas purification. The device comprises one or more short helically wound lengths of wire at least a surface of which comprises a solid surface coating for interaction with the fluid. For catalysis the coating is a catalytically active material.

Catalyst supports and fluid treatment devices

A catalyst suitable for use in the treatment of motor vehicle exhaust emissions is made by contacting a substrate, preferably of an aluminium bearing ferritic alloy, with a first sol of refractory material followed by drying and firing, and preferably then contacting with a second sol of refractory material, which additionally contains a salt convertible to catalytic material, followed by drying and firing. The sols are obtained from refractory material, e.g., alumina, made by a vapor phase condensation method.

Method of preparing a catalyst

A device for treating fluid, in particular a supported catalyst for motor vehicle exhaust gas purification. The device comprises a plurality of short helical lengths of smooth surfaced wire of aluminium containing iron based alloy wound to avoid self contact, coated with ceramic material and catalytically active material, and assembled together in a container having a gas inlet and a gas outlet.

The invention is concerned with providing substrates with coatings obtainable from sols, for example to protect the substrate (such as in nuclear reactors or hydrocarbon cracking plant) or to provide a carrier for catalytically active material. Hitherto, coatings obtained from sols have had a high porosity and high surface area so that they have not been entirely satisfactory for the above applications. In the invention, dense, low-porosity coatings are provided by contacting the substrate with a sol of refractory material (e.g. CeO.sub.2 or SiO.sub.2) convertible to a gel of density at least 40% of the theoretical density of the refractory material, and converting the sol to the gel. Optionally, the gel may be converted to a ceramic coating by firing.

Method of producing dense refractory oxide coatings on metallic

The method comprises the steps of: forming one or more sheets of material in a single sheet of material with at least one generally planar region and at least one region of first corrugations. Second corrugations which are smaller than the first corrugations are then superimposed on the, or each, generally planar region and the, or each, corrugated region. The generally planar region, or regions are then laid onto the region, or regions that are provided with the first corrugations.

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Wantage, United Kingdom

James A Cairns