Apparatus and process for coating by vapor deposition

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR COATING A SUBSTRATE WITH ALUMINUM BY VACUUM-EVAPORATING SAID ALUMINUM AND CONDENSING SAID ALUMINUM ON SAID SUBSTRATE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS SO PROVIDING A SUPPLY OF SAID ALUMINUM IN A VACUUM CHAMBER, EVACUATING SAID CHAMBER, MELTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ALUMINUM IN SAID SUPPLY OF ALUMINUM, PROVIDING A WICK ELEMENT HAVING AT LEAST A SURFACE STRATUM COMPRISING A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE CARBIDES AND NITRIDES OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, VANADIUM, COLUMBIUM AND TANTALUM, CONFINING SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN A LOW-TEMPERATURE POOL IN CONTACT WITH SAID WICK ELEMENT, HEATING SAID WICK ELEMENT TO A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID POOL, EVAPORATING BY SAID HIGH TEMPERATURE THAT ALUMINUM WHICH WETS SAID WICK ELEMENT, SHIELDIGN SAID SUBSTRATE FROM RADIATION EMANATING FROM THE LOW-TEMPERATURE POOL OF MOLTEN ALUMINUM, AND MOVING SAID SUBSTRATE PAST SAID WICK ELEMENT TO COAT ALUMINUM ON SAID SUBSTRATE.