Progress in Plasma Processing of Materials, 2003

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-192-1

ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-447-2

AN EFFECT OF NEAR-CATHODE REGION PLASMA OF AN ARGON ARC ON METAL PARTICLES

DOI: 10.1615/ITPPC-2002.320
pages 257-262

Résumé

Metal particles’ behaviour in plasma flow of short (~ 10 mm) 200 A D.C. argon arc in a device proposed by the authors for deposition of metallurgical coatings is studied. Temperature and electron density fields in pure unloaded argon plasma were determined by means of optical emission spectroscopy methods. It was found that for modelling the process of coating deposition the plasma temperature and electron concentration should be assumed equal to 15000 K and 2·1023 m−3, respectively. It was revealed that up to half of initial particles mass turns into a vapour phase. The processes of particle acceleration when moving in plasma flow were considered as well. From examining the heat fluxes balance on surface of the particle and its downsizing the heat flux to particle in plasma was evaluated to be higher than 4·108 W/m2.