The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator

Richard M Poorman

Jack Lee Weeks

Deborah D Schmidt

A method and apparatus for vapor deposition of a thin metallic film utilizing an ionized gas arc directed onto a source material spaced from a substrate to be coated in a substantial vacuum while providing a pressure differential between the source and the substrate so that as a portion of the source is vaporized the vapors are carried to the substrate. The apparatus includes a modified tungsten arc welding torch having a hollow electrode through which a gas, preferably inert, flows and an arc is struck between the electrode and the source. The torch, source and substrate are confined within a chamber within which a vacuum is draw. When the arc is struck, a portion of the source is vaporized and the vapors flow rapidly toward the substrate. A reflecting shield is positioned about the torch above the electrode and the source to ensure that the arc is struck between the electrode and the source at startup. The electrode and the source may be confined within a vapor guide housing having a duct opening toward the substrate for directing the vapors onto the substrate.

Vacuum vapor deposition

A gas/arc electrode for use under vacuum conditions wherein a first housing encloses a second housing, with an end of the second housing extending through an opening in the first housing and having therein an outlet orifice. Provisions are made for circulating a coolant through the first housing to surround and cool the second housing. An electrical current and a gas, such as argon, as passed through the second housing, with the current flowing through a narrow stream of the ionized gas flowing through the outlet orifice to a workpiece to be treated. The second housing forms a chamber which has a cross sectional area, in a plane perpendicular to the direction of gas flow, of at least ten times the cross sectional area of the outlet orifice such that a gas pressure can be maintained in the chamber to reduce erosion of the chamber walls.

Arc/gas electrode

An apparatus and process for improving the microstructure of electrically conducting materials is disclosed by the present invention. A revolving heat source applies heat to the surface of the material evenly and quickly. One or more heat sinks quickly cool the material. In the preferred embodiment, the cooling may be done in such a way as to promote as high a degree of directional grain growth as desired or completely nondirectional grain growth.

High temperature electric arc furnace and method

A low gravity exothermic heating/cooling apparatus is disclosed for processing materials in space which includes an insulated casing (10) and a sample support (16), (18) carried within the casing which supports a sample container (14). An exothermic heat source (A) includes a plurality of segments (20) of exothermic material stacked one upon another to produce a desired temperature profile when ignited. The exothermic material segments are constructed in the form of an annular element having a recess opening (22) which defines an open central core (23) throughout the vertical axis of the stacked exothermic material (A). The sample container (14) is arranged within the core (23) of the stacked exothermic heating material. Igniters (24) are spaced vertically along the axis of the heating material to ignite the exothermic material at spaced points to provide total rapid burn and release of heat. To rapidly cool and quench the heat, a source (30) of liquid carbon dioxide is provided which is conveyed through a conduit (32) and a metering orifice (36) into a distribution manifold (34) where the carbon dioxide is gasified and dispersed around the exothermic heating material and the sample container via tubes (38) for rapidly cooling the material sample.

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Huntsville, AL, United States of America

Richard M Poorman