Patent ID: 6174570
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: C03C,C04B,C23C,Y02T

Abstract:
Liquid process for coating fibers with metal, comprising the steps of:holding a liquid metal in a slotted levitation crucible; anddrawing a tensioned fiber through the liquid metal, said fiber emerging from said liquid metal at an exit point,the slotted levitation crucible at least partially preventing contact between the liquid metal and a wall of the crucible, wherein the wall of the crucible has first and second orifices located on either side of the liquid metal at orifice points where said liquid metal does not come into contact with said wall, said first and second orifices connected by at least one slot in the wall of the crucible, said at least one slot bringing the inside of the crucible into communication with the outside of the crucible, having a shape of a ruled surface, having a sufficient width so that the fiber can pass through the slot, and located away from the liquid metal such that the slot does not contact the liquid metal, wherein the step of drawing includes the steps of,tensioning the fiber as a straight segment between means of preemption of said fiber, said preemption means being external to the crucible,introducing the fiber into the crucible by making it pass through the at least one slot,passing the tensioned fiber through the first orifice, through the liquid metal, and through the second orifice.