A stable atmospheric-pressure plasma for extreme-temperature synthesis

Hua Xie, Ning Liu, Qian Zhang, Hongtao Zhong, Liqun Guo, Xinpeng Zhao, Daozheng Li, Shufeng Liu, Zhennan Huang, Aditya Dilip Lele, Alexandra H. Brozena, Xizheng Wang, Keqi Song, Sophia Chen, Yan Yao, Miaofang Chi, Wei Xiong, Jiancun Rao, Minhua Zhao, Mikhail N. Shneider, Jian Luo, Ji-Cheng Zhao (), Yiguang Ju () and Liangbing Hu ()
Additional contact information
Hua Xie: University of Maryland
Ning Liu: Princeton University
Qian Zhang: University of Maryland
Hongtao Zhong: Princeton University
Liqun Guo: University of Houston
Xinpeng Zhao: University of Maryland
Daozheng Li: University of Pittsburgh
Shufeng Liu: University of Maryland
Zhennan Huang: University of Maryland
Aditya Dilip Lele: Princeton University
Alexandra H. Brozena: University of Maryland
Xizheng Wang: University of Maryland
Keqi Song: University of California San Diego
Sophia Chen: Princeton University
Yan Yao: University of Houston
Miaofang Chi: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Wei Xiong: University of Pittsburgh
Jiancun Rao: University of Maryland
Minhua Zhao: University of Maryland
Mikhail N. Shneider: Princeton University
Jian Luo: University of California San Diego
Ji-Cheng Zhao: University of Maryland
Yiguang Ju: Princeton University
Liangbing Hu: University of Maryland

Nature, 2023, vol. 623, issue 7989, 964-971

Abstract: Abstract Plasmas can generate ultra-high-temperature reactive environments that can be used for the synthesis and processing of a wide range of materials1,2. However, the limited volume, instability and non-uniformity of plasmas have made it challenging to scalably manufacture bulk, high-temperature materials3–8. Here we present a plasma set-up consisting of a pair of carbon-fibre-tip-enhanced electrodes that enable the generation of a uniform, ultra-high temperature and stable plasma (up to 8,000 K) at atmospheric pressure using a combination of vertically oriented long and short carbon fibres. The long carbon fibres initiate the plasma by micro-spark discharge at a low breakdown voltage, whereas the short carbon fibres coalesce the discharge into a volumetric and stable ultra-high-temperature plasma. As a proof of concept, we used this process to synthesize various extreme materials in seconds, including ultra-high-temperature ceramics (for example, hafnium carbonitride) and refractory metal alloys. Moreover, the carbon-fibre electrodes are highly flexible and can be shaped for various syntheses. This simple and practical plasma technology may help overcome the challenges in high-temperature synthesis and enable large-scale electrified plasma manufacturing powered by renewable electricity.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06694-1

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