Patent ID: 9166170
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: B22F,B82Y,C01B,C01P,C09C,H01L,H05H

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for making hollow carbon-coated nano- and micron-scale particles, said apparatus comprising: a plasma chamber having a quartz torch set in a housing that is joined by a waveguide assembly capable of forming a hot region within said chamber; a particle reservoir that is connected to a particle feeder; nano- or micron-scale metal particles that are fed into said reservoir by said particle feeder; an inlet connected to said particle reservoir for introducing an aerosol gas as well as a carbon containing gas into said reservoir; a conduit for transporting the subject particles that are entrained in said aerosol gas along with said carbon containing gas from said reservoir to said hot region; an inlet proximately located at the base of said torch for introducing a plasma gas into said chamber by flowing through an annulus between said conduit and said torch into said hot region; a microwave generator with input to said waveguide assembly for bombarding said gases that mix within said hot region, whereupon activation the subject particles atomize and the carbon-containing gas disproportionates; an elongated glass column chimney axially aligned above the chamber hot region for receiving the heated mixed gases wherein the ascending particles and carbon atoms liquefy and segregate to form a particle core and carbon overlayer; a filter station that is distally connected by pipette to the enclosed top of said chimney; means for collecting the resulting carbon-coated nano- or micron-scale particles that are deposited at said filter station; and an acid bath wherein said collected particles are subsequently placed for extraction of their metal cores resulting in hollow carbon nano- or micron-scale spheres.