Centre National Detudes Spatiales

Olivier Remondiere

Rene Pailler

Patrick Bourquin

A substrate to be coated moves within a vacuum chamber. A deposition material in particle form is stored in a reservoir closed on its lowermost part by a plate. A cable links the plate to a valve which closes the supply opening of a crucible heated to a temperature for evaporation of the deposition material. A control device using at least one electromagnet allows the plate to pivot and thus to open the valve. A quantity of powder falls into the crucible, then the plate and the valve are returned to closed position. A screen with a mesh having dimensions smaller than those of the deposition material particles in the crucible allows pasage of the vapor only and subsequent deposition onto the substrate. The invention is particularly useful in the manufacture of carbon fibers coated with magnesium.

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Ramonville St Agne, France

Olivier Remondiere