Metal explosion apparatus

Abstract

Abstract A metal reactor consisting of two cylindrical sections fitted together one above the other in a vacuum-sealed relationship. A plurality of electrically conducting individual metal wire strips are positioned within the upper cylindrical section which in turn is rotated stepwise over an orifice located between the upper and lower cylinders. As the upper cylinder rotates, successive strips of the electrically conducting wire drop into the lower cylindrical chamber where the individual wire makes contact between two stationary electrodes. A high potential is imposed across the two electrodes causing electrical energy of sufficient magnitude to flow through the wire and effect the explosion thereof. The apparatus overcomes a problem often encountered in the metal wire single-explosion technique relied upon heretofore, especially in those instances where the exploding wire phenomenon was used for synthesizing chemical compounds. The invention provides the necessary means for accomplishing a series of successive and continuous explosions of metal wires without the necessity of breaking the vacuum seal in the explosion chamber, a technique which could not be accomplished by prior art wire explosion devices.

Inventors

• 👤 Richard L Johnson
• 👤 Bernard Siegel

Bibliographic Details