Synthesis of alloy and diffusion material nanoparticles

Abstract

A method for preparing an alloy nanocellular foam includes at least partially coating a nanocellular precursor into a multiple composition nanoparticle precursor and converting the multiple composition nanoparticle precursor into an alloy via a diffusion process.

1 . A method for preparing an alloy nanocellular foam comprising:
 disposing a nanoparticle precursor in an electrochemical deposition apparatus;   operating said electrochemical deposition apparatus, thereby at least partially coating said nanoparticle precursor into a multiple composition nanoparticle precursor, wherein the coated nanoparticle precursor forms an alloy nanoparticle via a diffusion process conducted subsequent to the coating process;   removing said converted nanoparticle precursor from said electrochemical deposition apparatus; and   constructing a nanocellular foam from said converted alloy nanoparticle precursor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said converted nanoparticle precursor is an alloy of nickel and the metals deposited on the precursor is at least one of aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), yttrium (Y), carbon (C), boron (B), zirconium (Zr). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said alloy is an alloy of nickel and aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disposing a nanoparticle precursor in an electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises:
 disposing said nanoparticle precursor in a cathode pouch made from mesh materials of said electrochemical deposition apparatus;   disposing said cathode pouch in an electrolyte solution; and   disposing an anode of the electrochemical deposition apparatus in the electrolyte solution.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disposing a nanoparticle precursor in an electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises:
 disposing said pure material nanoparticle precursor in a powder bed hosted in a tubular housing element of said electrochemical deposition apparatus;   disposing an electrolyte solution in said tubular housing element, such that said pure material nanoparticle precursor is covered by said electrolyte solution;   inserting a cathode of said electrochemical deposition apparatus into said tubular housing that contains the said pure material nanoparticle precursor dispersed in the electrolyte; and   disposing an anode of said electrochemical deposition apparatus at least partially in said electrolyte solution.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing a pure material nanoparticle precursor in an electrochemical deposition apparatus is performed during the step of operating said electrochemical deposition apparatus, thereby at least partially converting said pure material nanoparticle precursor into a converted nanoparticle precursor, and comprises:
 passing said pure material nanoparticle precursor through a powder feed of said electrochemical deposition apparatus into a tank at least partially filled with an electrolyte solution;   allowing said pure material nanoparticle precursor to pass between a cathode of said electrochemical deposition apparatus and at least one anode of said electrochemical deposition apparatus, wherein the cathode and the at least one anode are at least partially submerged in said electrolyte solution;   allowing a particulate of at least pure material nanoparticle precursor and connected nanoparticle precursor to exit the tank;   filtering the particulate, thereby isolating the pure material nanoparticle precursor and the converted nanoparticle precursor; and   returning the pure material nanoparticle precursor to the powder feed.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing a pure material nanoparticle precursor in an electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises:
 disposing the pure material nanoparticle precursor in a powder bed of a cathode tube in a tank of said electrochemical deposition apparatus;   at least partially submerging said cathode tube in an electrolyte solution disposed in said tank such that the electrolyte solution intermixes with the pure material nanoparticle precursor in the powder bed; and   disposing an anode of the electrochemical deposition apparatus at least partially in the electrolyte solution.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of operating said electrochemical deposition apparatus comprises:
 providing a positive charge to an anode of the electrochemical deposition apparatus, providing a negative charge to a cathode of the electrochemical deposition apparatus;   allowing an electrolyte solution to intermix with said pure material nanoparticle precursor; and   causing ions from the anode to be conducted through the electrolyte solution and coat the pure material nanoparticle precursor.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein causing ions from the anode to be conducted through the electrolyte solution and coat the pure material nanoparticle precursor causes the pure material nanoparticle precursor to be converted into at least one of an alloy nanoparticle precursor and a diffusion material nanoparticle precursor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the allowing an electrolyte solution to intermix with said pure material nanoparticle precursor comprises at least one of allowing the electrolyte solution to flow through a mesh structure of said cathode, allowing the electrolyte solution to flow around a solid rotating cathode, and allowing the electrolyte solution to flow through a tube cathode. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electrochemical deposition apparatus utilizes at least one of an inorganic, organic, metalorganic, and ionic liquid electrolyte containing ions of at least one of aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), tantalum (Ta), hafnium (Hf), yttrium (Y), carbon (C), boron (B), zirconium (Zr). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the liquid electrolyte is a blend of at least two of an inorganic, organic, metalorganic, and ionic liquid electrolyte. 
     
     
         13 . An electrochemical deposition apparatus for converting a pure material nanoparticle precursor into a converted nanoparticle precursor comprising:
 a power source having a positive terminal connected to an anode and a negative terminal connected to a cathode;   a storage component at least partially filled with an electrolyte solution;   a powder bed for retaining a nanoparticle precursor, wherein the powder bed is disposed within said storage component such that said electrolyte solution intermixes with a nanoparticle precursor contained within said powder bed; and   wherein said anode is at least partially disposed in said electrolyte solution, and wherein said cathode contacts at least a portion of said nanoparticle precursor.   
     
     
         14 . The electrochemical deposition apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said storage component is a tube, said powder bed is disposed in a bend of said tube, and said cathode is inserted at least partially into a nanoparticle particulate disposed in said powder bed. 
     
     
         15 . The electrochemical deposition apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said storage component is a tank, and wherein said anode is at least partially submerged in said electrolyte solution. 
     
     
         16 . The electrochemical deposition apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said cathode comprises an electrically conductive mesh container, and wherein said powder bed is disposed inside said electrically conductive mesh container. 
     
     
         17 . The electrochemical deposition apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said cathode comprises a rotatable cylinder having an internal cavity, and wherein the powder bed is disposed in said internal cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The electrochemical deposition apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a second anode connected to said power source, and wherein said cathode is a rotatable cylinder disposed between said anodes. 
     
     
         19 . The electrochemical apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said powder bed is disposed beneath said cathode, and wherein said electrochemical deposition apparatus further comprises a powder feed disposed above said cathode, wherein said powder feed is operable to feed a stream pure material nanoparticle precursor between said cathode and at least one of said anodes. 
     
     
         20 . A method for synthesizing a nanocellular foam comprising:
 converting a base material nanoparticle precursor into a converted nanoparticle precursor;   constructing said nanocellular foam from said converted nanoparticle precursor; and   wherein converting a base material nanoparticle precursor into a converted nanoparticle precursor comprises converting the base material nanoparticle precursor into an alloy material nanoparticle precursor and a diffusion material nanoparticle precursor.