Abstract

MANRIQUE, MILTÓN; TORRENTE, GABRIEL; LABRADOR, NORBERTO  and  POIRIER, THIERRY. Design and construction of a thermal plasma reactor for Aluminum Nitride synthesis. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2006, vol.21, n.2, pp.75-83. ISSN 0798-4065.

In this article a new design for a thermal plasma reactor with expansion chamber for aluminum nitride (AlN) synthesis is proposed. The new reactor was constructed of stainless steel (AISI 304), and this was proved with a high temperature direct nitriding process of aluminum chloride and with a thermal carbonitriding process of gibbsite. The product obtained in the direct nitriding runs, was AlN with approximately 90% purity; while the AlN obtained in the carbonitriding test was mixed with other minor products, such as corundum and aluminum oxynitride. A reaction mechanism is proposed to explain the decomposition of the solid precursor and nucleation of the AlN.

Keywords : Synthesis; aluminum nitride; aluminum oxynitride; thermal plasma; nitriding; carbonitriding.