Synthesis of nanocomposite powders in capacitively coupled plasma

Summary form only given. Medium pressure, (1000-10,000 Pa) capacitively coupled (CC) RF discharges of power density 10-20 W/cm/sup 3/ were used for the treatment and synthesis of nanopowders in the gas through flow. The discharge was organized to have coaxial geometry within a structure of outer cylindrical electrodes and water-filled coupling capacitors. CC plasma, produced in the reactor fed with hydrocarbon gases, was applied to the in-flight treatment of ceramics nanopowders (TiO/sub 2/, SiO/sub 2/), introduced as suspension, resulting in nano-thick a-C:H coatings of particles. This type of plasma processing of nanopowders combined with their synthesis can reduce the post-synthesis agglomeration of particles, porosity of the ceramic coatings and can find applications in the development of materials with new properties. Another application for this CC plasma facility is the possibility of iron/carbon nanostructures synthesis demonstrated using the vapor of iron carbonyl Fe(CO)/sub 5/, diluted with argon, as a precursor. The nanostructures consist of iron cores embedded in the cells similar to carbon nanotubes. This is promising in development of nanostructured ferromagnetic materials with new properties (magnetic permeability, hysteresis curve, ferrites´ operational frequency etc).