Supercritical fluid molecular spray thin films and fine powders

Patent · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:866550

Smith, Richard D ^[1]

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1. Richland, WA

Solid films are deposited, or fine powders formed, by dissolving a solid material into a supercritical fluid solution at an elevated pressure and then rapidly expanding the solution through a short orifice into a region of relatively low pressure. This produces a molecular spray which is directed against a substrate to deposit a solid thin film thereon, or discharged into a collection chamber to collect a fine powder. The solvent is vaporized and pumped away. Solution pressure is varied to determine, together with flow rate, the rate of deposition and to control in part whether a film or powder is produced and the granularity of each. Solution temperature is varied in relation to formation of a two-phase system during expansion to control porosity of the film or powder. A wide variety of film textures and powder shapes are produced of both organic and inorganic compounds. Films are produced with regular textural feature dimensions of 1.0-2.0 .mu.m down to a range of 0.01 to 0.1 .mu.m. Powders are formed in very narrow size distributions, with average sizes in the range of 0.02 to 5 .mu.m.

• Research Organization: Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4734451
• OSTI ID: 866550
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

supercritical
fluid
molecular
spray
films
fine
powders
solid
deposited
formed
dissolving
material
solution
elevated
pressure
rapidly
expanding
orifice
region
relatively
produces
directed
substrate
deposit
film
thereon
discharged
collection
chamber
collect
powder
solvent
vaporized
pumped
varied
determine
flow
rate
deposition
control
produced
granularity
temperature
relation
formation
two-phase
expansion
porosity
wide
variety
textures
shapes
organic
inorganic
compounds
regular
textural
feature
dimensions
0-2
range
01
narrow
size
distributions
average
sizes
02
narrow size
molecular spray
inorganic compounds
rapidly expanding
size distribution
organic compound
supercritical fluid
organic compounds
flow rate
solid material
collection chamber
wide variety
average size
elevated pressure
fine powder
solid films
powders formed
fluid solution
fine powders
film thereon
solid film
fluid molecular
/524/118/210/264/