Multi-arc source cathodic arc ion plating device and method

Abstract

This invention discloses a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus, comprising an electromagnetic shielding device, a metal ion blocking and recovery device, a partitioning isolation mechanism, and a robotic arm. The electromagnetic shielding device includes a first metal plate; the metal ion blocking and recovery device includes a second metal plate; the partitioning isolation mechanism includes a partition that divides a vacuum chamber into a waiting area and a working area; the robotic arm is mounted above the vacuum chamber; a current-carrying coil is wound around the outer side of the lower end of a magnetic tube, and the upper end of the magnetic tube extends into the working area of ​​the vacuum chamber and connects to the inside of the target material. The two parts of the magnetic tube are isolated by the first and second metal plates, respectively. During target refining, the product to be plated is stored in the waiting area; after target refining, the robotic arm transfers the product to be plated to the target material in the working area. This invention also discloses a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating method based on the above apparatus. This invention improves deposition efficiency and deposition stability, and achieves the technical effect of simultaneous deposition of multiple products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cathode arc ion plating technology, and specifically relates to a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0002] Bicomponent liquid propellant attitude control engines are an important component of modern spacecraft, widely used in orbit control, attitude adjustment, and other applications.

[0003] In recent years, the development of new aircraft has placed increasingly higher demands on engine performance, requiring improved specific impulse and extended service life to enhance the trajectory change efficiency and on-orbit life of aircraft or weapons. The allowable temperature of an engine is one of the main factors determining its specific impulse, while the performance of the engine thrust chamber matrix material and its high-temperature anti-oxidation coatings on its inner and outer surfaces determines the engine's allowable temperature and service life.

[0004] Currently, the base material for the thrust chamber of the bicomponent liquid propellant orbital attitude control engine used in my country for orbit guidance and attitude control of spacecraft is niobium alloy, and the coating system is a silicon-chromium-titanium material system. The main preparation method is slurry sintering. The allowable engine temperature for this coating system does not exceed 1450℃, and its lifespan does not exceed 25,000 seconds.

[0005] To further improve the operating temperature and service life of engine nozzles, ultra-high temperature protective coatings, such as molybdenum and iridium, are prepared using arc ion plating. These coatings can effectively increase the allowable temperature of the engine. However, due to the influence of electromagnetic interference, the current engine nozzles use a single arc source deposition method, which has low production efficiency and hinders the large-scale promotion and use of ultra-high temperature protective coatings. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects and provide a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device and method, which solves the technical problem of low production efficiency caused by the traditional single arc source deposition method. This invention improves deposition efficiency and deposition stability, and achieves the technical effect of simultaneous deposition of multiple products.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus includes: an electromagnetic shielding device, a metal ion blocking and recovery device, a partitioning isolation mechanism, and a robotic arm;

[0009] The electromagnetic shielding device includes several first metal plates; the metal ion blocking and recovery device includes several second metal plates.

[0010] The partitioning mechanism includes a partition that divides the vacuum chamber into a waiting area and a working area; a robotic arm is mounted above the vacuum chamber; in one specific embodiment, the partition is vertically arranged, and the waiting area is located on one side of the working area.

[0011] n magnetic tubes are vertically arranged, with an energized coil wound around the lower outer side of each tube. The upper end of each tube extends into the working area of ​​the vacuum chamber and is connected to the inside of the target material. The portion of the same magnetic tube with the energized coil wound around it and the portion located inside the vacuum chamber are respectively designated as the first part and the second part. The first parts of two adjacent magnetic tubes are isolated by a first metal plate, and the second parts of two adjacent magnetic tubes are isolated by a second metal plate; n≥3;

[0012] During target preparation, m products to be plated are stored in the working area. After target preparation is completed, the robot transfers the m products to be plated to the target material in the working area to achieve ion plating of the m products; 1≤m≤n.

[0013] Furthermore, the first metal plate is made of beryllium copper or stainless steel;

[0014] The material used for the second metal plate is niobium-tungsten alloy.

[0015] Furthermore, the thickness of the first metal plate is 1 to 3 mm, and the height of the first metal plate is greater than the height of the energized coil; that is, the upper end of the first metal plate, the upper end of the energized coil, and the bottom end face (lower surface) of the vacuum chamber are at the same height, and the lower end of the first metal plate is lower than the lower end of the energized coil.

[0016] The thickness of the second metal plate is 1-3mm, and the height of the second metal plate is 200-400mm higher than the height of the product to be plated.

[0017] Furthermore, the second metal plate is connected to the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber using a slot.

[0018] Each second metal plate is located directly above each first metal plate;

[0019] The connection between the second metal plates is riveting.

[0020] Furthermore, when the thickness of the target metal attached to the second metal plate exceeds 1 mm, the second metal plate is removed and the target metal on the second metal plate is recovered.

[0021] Furthermore, the n magnetic tubes are arranged in a straight line, a rectangular array, or a diamond array;

[0022] The spacing between two adjacent magnetic tubes is 100–300 mm;

[0023] The magnetic tube is equipped with a cooling water pipe inside;

[0024] The number of turns of the energized coil outside the magnetic tube is 50 to 300, the current of the energized coil is 0.5 to 20A, the frequency is 10 to 40HZ, and the waveform is a sine wave, a triangular wave, or a rectangular wave.

[0025] Furthermore, the target material has a hollow structure, including a cylindrical section and a conical section. An arc igniter is installed on the outside of the cylindrical section. The arc igniter is used to ignite an arc on the surface of the target material. Under the action of the electromagnetic field, the arc moves up and down in a spiral motion in the conical section. The slope of the conical section is not less than 6°.

[0026] The outer surface of the upper end of the magnetic tube is threadedly connected to the inner surface of the target material.

[0027] Furthermore, it also includes a multi-arc source electric arc ion plating control system, which is used to control the action of the robotic arm and to control each target material to start arc individually or simultaneously.

[0028] Furthermore, the conditions for target refining are: arc current 20-200A, magnetic field current 0-50A;

[0029] The target refining time y1 is set according to the target height x1, specifically as follows:

[0030] y1 = 0.015 × x1;

[0031] The arc current for ion plating is 20–200A, the magnetic field current is 0–50A, and the arc initiation time y2 is set according to the height of the product to be plated x2, specifically as follows:

[0032] y² = 0.3 × x²;

[0033] The units for target refining time y1 and arc initiation time y2 are min, and the units for target height x1 and product height x2 are mm.

[0034] A multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating method, implemented using the aforementioned multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus, includes:

[0035] m products to be plated are stored in the working area of ​​the vacuum chamber, and m targets in the working area are refined.

[0036] After the target preparation is completed, the robotic arm transfers m products to be plated to the m targets in the work area, and initiates the arc to achieve ion plating on the m products.

[0037] During target forging, arcs are simultaneously ignited on m targets. During ion plating, arcs are simultaneously ignited on m targets or individually on each of the m targets.

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following advantages:

[0039] (1) The present invention creatively designs an electromagnetic shielding device and a metal ion blocking and recovery device, which effectively avoids mutual interference when multiple arc sources work at the same time, improves deposition efficiency and deposition stability, and realizes the technical effect of simultaneous deposition of multiple products.

[0040] (2) The present invention sets up a waiting area and a working area in the same vacuum chamber, and uses a robot to transfer the product between the two areas, realizing the automation of the thrust chamber body clamping, avoiding the manual placement of workpieces after the furnace is opened after the target is refined, saving production time and improving production efficiency.

[0041] (3) This invention proposes a method for recovering target metal using a metal ion blocking recovery device and provides the optimal recovery time, which can achieve effective utilization of resources;

[0042] (4) The present invention specifically defines the relationship between the target refining time and the target height and the arc ignition time and the height of the product to be plated, which can effectively control the uniformity of coating deposition. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electromagnetic shielding device of the present invention; wherein (a) is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic shielding device when the magnetic tubes are arranged in a rectangular array, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the electromagnetic shielding device when the magnetic tubes are arranged in a rhomboid array.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the metal ion blocking and recovery device of the present invention; wherein (a) is a schematic diagram of the metal ion blocking and recovery device when the magnetic tubes are arranged in a rectangular array, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the metal ion blocking and recovery device when the magnetic tubes are arranged in a rhomboid array.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the engine thrust chamber body and the target material in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer and more apparent from the following detailed description.

[0047] The term “exemplary” as used herein means “serving as an example, embodiment, or illustration.” Any embodiment illustrated herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as superior to or better than other embodiments. Although various aspects of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0048] This invention provides a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus, comprising an electromagnetic shielding device, a metal ion blocking and recovery device, a partitioning isolation mechanism, and a robotic arm; the electromagnetic shielding device includes a plurality of first metal plates; the metal ion blocking and recovery device includes a plurality of second metal plates; and the partitioning isolation mechanism includes partitions. In one specific embodiment, this invention also includes a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating system. This multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus is suitable for ion plating of various products, and is particularly suitable for ion plating of the inner surface of the engine thrust chamber.

[0049] In one specific embodiment, the electromagnetic shielding device is located outside the vacuum chamber of the arc ion plating equipment, directly below the vacuum chamber.

[0050] In one specific embodiment, a cooling water pipe is installed inside the magnetic tube, and an energized coil is wound around it. Cooling water flows through the cooling water pipe, and the wall thickness of the cooling water pipe is 2-4 mm to ensure sufficient strength and provide cooling for the target material and the magnetic tube. The magnetic tube is made of electrical pure iron, with an inner diameter the same as the outer diameter of the cooling water pipe. The outer diameter of the magnetic tube is 1.2-3 times the inner diameter to improve the magnetic induction intensity. The magnetic tubes are supported vertically by a slot on the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber, and the number of tubes is 3-10. Figure 1 The items should be arranged in a rectangular or rhomboid shape (or in a straight line when there are 3 items), with a spacing of 100-300mm.

[0051] In one specific embodiment, an energized coil is wound around the magnetic tube. The inner diameter of the coil is the same as the outer diameter of the magnetic tube. The diameter of the coil wire is 1-2 mm, and the number of coil turns is 50-300. The coil current is 0.5-20 A, the frequency is 10-40 Hz, and the waveform is a sine wave, a triangular wave, or a rectangular wave.

[0052] In one specific embodiment, a first metal plate is evenly placed between the magnetic tubes of the outer winding coil, and the first metal plate is fixed by a base; the material of the first metal plate is beryllium copper or stainless steel, the thickness is 1 to 3 mm, and the height of the first metal plate should not be lower than the height of the coil wound on the magnetic tube.

[0053] In one specific embodiment, the metal ion blocking and recovery device is located inside the furnace body.

[0054] In one specific embodiment, the magnetic tube passes through the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber directly above it and enters the outside of the furnace cavity. The outer surface of the magnetic tube is threaded to the inner surface of the target material. The target material has a hollow structure, including a cylindrical section and a conical section. An arc igniter is installed on the outside of the cylindrical section. The arc igniter ignites the arc light on the surface of the target material by high-voltage ignition. Under the action of the electromagnetic field, the arc light makes an up-and-down spiral motion in the conical section. The slope of the conical section is not less than 6°.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, the target material is molybdenum or iridium, and the maximum outer diameter of the target is 20-40 mm smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the product to be plated (such as the thrust chamber body), and the height is 20-50 mm smaller than the height of the product to be plated (such as the thrust chamber body).

[0056] In one specific implementation, such as Figure 2 A second metal plate is evenly placed around the target material, directly above the first metal plate. The lower end of the second metal plate is connected to the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber by a slot for easy disassembly. The metal plate material is niobium-tungsten alloy with a thickness of 1-3 mm and a height 200-400 mm higher than the product. The metal plates are connected by riveting for easy disassembly. The target metal adhering to the metal plate is more than 1 mm thick, which has a strong adsorption capacity for gas. To avoid pollution of the furnace environment, when the target metal is more than 1 mm thick, the metal plate is removed and the target metal is recovered.

[0057] In one specific embodiment, the vacuum chamber is divided into two areas: a waiting area and a working area, which are distributed sequentially. The working area is where the second metal plate and the target material are located, and the waiting area is located on one side of the working area. The waiting area holds the products to be deposited (3 to 10 units, which is the same as or less than the total number of magnetic tubes). A robotic arm is installed on the top of the vacuum chamber to hold the products to be deposited.

[0058] In one specific embodiment, the multi-arc source arc ion plating system can control the working area to simultaneously perform target refining, with an arc current of 20-200A and a magnetic field current of 0-50A. The target refining time is set according to the target height, and the relationship between the target refining time (y1 / min) and the target height (x1 / mm) is generally set as y1 = 0.015 × x1.

[0059] In one specific embodiment, after the target material refining is completed, the robotic arm holds the product to be deposited in the working area and places it directly above the target material. When the product to be deposited is the body of the thrust chamber, the conical section of the target material is placed inside the body of the thrust chamber. After the body of the thrust chamber is placed in the working area, the multi-arc source arc ion plating system can control the targets to start arc simultaneously or each target to start arc individually. The arc current is 20-200A, the magnetic field current is 0-50A, and the arc starting time is set according to the height of the product to be plated. The relationship between the arc starting time (y2 / min) and the height of the product to be plated (x2 / mm) is generally y2 = 0.3 × x2.

[0060] An engine thrust chamber body has an inner diameter of 10–120 mm, an outer diameter of 20–150 mm, and a height of 20–500 mm.

[0061] This invention proposes for the first time a method for preparing ultra-high temperature anti-oxidation coatings using multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating. This method can improve production efficiency by 3 to 10 times and increase the recycling rate of precious metals to 50 to 90%. It can be applied to the orbital attitude control engine of aerospace vehicles, and will help promote the application of ultra-high temperature protective coatings such as molybdenum and iridium, which will be beneficial to the development and progress of spacecraft.

[0062] Example:

[0063] Taking the manufacture of an engine thrust chamber body with dimensions of φ90×150mm (φ90mm is the inner diameter of the engine thrust chamber body, and 150mm is the total length of the engine thrust chamber body) as an example, an iridium coating is deposited on the inner surface of the engine thrust chamber body to illustrate the specific implementation of the method of the present invention.

[0064] (a) Preparation of electromagnetic shielding device:

[0065] (1) Process the magnetic tube. The material is electrical pure iron with an inner diameter of 25mm, an outer diameter of 35mm, and a length of 400mm.

[0066] (2) The magnetic tubes are supported by the slots on the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber and are placed vertically. There are 9 of them, arranged in a 3×3 rectangle with a spacing of 300mm.

[0067] (3) A current-carrying coil is wound around the magnetic tube. The coil has 150 turns, an inner diameter of 35 mm, and a wire diameter of 1 mm.

[0068] (4) The coil current is 10A, the frequency is 25HZ, and the waveform is a sine wave;

[0069] (5) Process the first metal plate, which is made of beryllium copper, with a thickness of 3mm and a height of 500mm.

[0070] (6) The first metal plate is evenly placed between the magnetic tubes and the first metal plate is fixed by the base;

[0071] (b) Preparation of the metal ion blocking and recovery device:

[0072] (1) Processing the target material, the target material is iridium, the maximum outer diameter of the target is 50mm, the inner diameter is 30mm, and the height is 120mm;

[0073] (2) The magnetic tube is connected to the target material by a threaded connection;

[0074] (3) Process the second metal plate. The material of the second metal plate is niobium-tungsten alloy, with a thickness of 3mm and a height of 500mm.

[0075] (4) A second metal plate is evenly placed around the target material, and the second metal plate is connected to the bottom end face of the vacuum chamber by a slot.

[0076] (5) The connection between the second metal plates is riveting, which facilitates disassembly;

[0077] (c) Control of iridium coating preparation using a multi-arc source arc ion plating system:

[0078] (1) Machining the engine thrust chamber body, the material is niobium-tungsten alloy, the quantity is 9, the engine thrust chamber body is degreased and pickled, and placed in the work area;

[0079] (2) Perform target refining, control 9 target materials to start arc simultaneously, arc current 120A, magnetic field current 0~50A, time 1.8min, remove excess material from the surface;

[0080] (3) Figure 3 The robotic arm holds the engine thrust chamber body and places it directly above the target material, with the conical section of the target material placed inside the thrust chamber body;

[0081] (4) Control each target to start the arc individually or all targets to start the arc simultaneously, with an arc current of 120A, a magnetic field current of 7-30A, and a time of 45min.

[0082] (5) After the iridium coating was deposited on the thrust chamber body of the 9 engines, the bodies were cooled in the furnace for 3 hours and then removed.

[0083] (6) The thickness of the iridium layer deposited on the niobium-tungsten alloy plate was measured by an outside micrometer. If it exceeded 1 mm, the metal plate was removed and the precious metal was recycled. The recycled precious metal was then used to prepare the iridium target material. The iridium recycling rate reached 60%.

[0084] Experiments show that multi-arc source electro-arc ion plating has achieved efficient deposition of iridium coating on the inner surface of the engine thrust chamber with dimensions of φ90×150mm, increasing the deposition efficiency to more than 9 times the current level, and the recycling rate of the precious metal iridium reaches 60%.

[0085] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating for the inner surface of an engine thrust chamber. An electromagnetic shielding device physically protects the multi-arc source system, preventing mutual interference when multiple arc sources operate simultaneously. A metal ion blocking and recovery device restricts the path of metal ions, preventing mutual interference when multiple molybdenum targets are simultaneously refining. It also recovers ineffective metal ions, facilitating the recycling and reuse of precious metals. A multi-arc source arc ion plating control system provides overall and individual control of the multiple arc sources, enabling simultaneous or individual operation of each source.

[0086] This invention is the first to realize a method for preparing ultra-high temperature anti-oxidation coatings by multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating. This preparation method will improve production efficiency by 3 to 10 times, which will help promote the application of ultra-high temperature protective coatings such as molybdenum and iridium, and will be beneficial to the development and progress of spacecraft.

[0087] The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to specific embodiments and exemplary examples; however, these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that various equivalent substitutions, modifications, or improvements can be made to the technical solutions and embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0088] The contents not described in detail in this specification are common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating apparatus, characterized in that, The application relates to a multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device. The electromagnetic shielding device comprises a plurality of first metal plates; the metal ion blocking and recycling device comprises a plurality of second metal plates; The partition isolation mechanism comprises a partition plate, which divides the vacuum chamber into a standby working area and a working area; and the mechanical arm is installed above the vacuum chamber; n magnetic conductive pipes are vertically arranged, an energized coil is arranged outside the lower end of the magnetic conductive pipe, the upper end of the magnetic conductive pipe extends into the working area of the vacuum chamber and is connected to the inside of the target material, the part of the same magnetic conductive pipe, where the energized coil is arranged, and the part of the same magnetic conductive pipe, which is located inside the vacuum chamber, are respectively referred to as a first part and a second part, the first parts of two adjacent magnetic conductive pipes are isolated by the first metal plates, and the second parts of the two adjacent magnetic conductive pipes are isolated by the second metal plates; n>=3; When the target is smelted, m pieces of products to be plated are stored in the standby working area, after the target is smelted, the mechanical arm transfers the m pieces of products to be plated above the target material in the working area, so that ion plating is realized on the m pieces of products to be plated; 1<=m<=n; The n magnetic conductive pipes are arranged in a straight line, a rectangular array or a rhombic array; The interval between two adjacent magnetic conductive pipes is 100-300 mm; The magnetic conductive pipe is internally provided with a cooling water pipe; The energized coil arranged outside the magnetic conductive pipe has 50-300 turns, the energized coil has a current of 0.5-20 A, a frequency of 10-40 HZ, and a waveform of a sine wave, a triangular wave or a rectangular wave; The target material is of a hollow structure and comprises a cylindrical segment and a conical segment, an arc igniter is installed outside the cylindrical segment, the arc igniter is used for igniting arc light on the surface of the target material, the arc light moves up and down spirally on the conical segment under the action of an electromagnetic field, and the gradient of the conical segment is not less than 6 degrees; The upper end of the magnetic conductive pipe is threadedly connected to the inner surface of the target material; The smelting condition of the target is that the arc current is 20-200 A and the magnetic field current is 0-50 A; The smelting time y1 of the target is set according to the height x1 of the target material, and is specifically as follows: y1=0.015*x1; The arc current is 20-200 A and the magnetic field current is 0-50 A when the arc is ignited during ion plating, the arc ignition time y2 is set according to the height x2 of the product to be plated, and is specifically as follows: y2=0.3*x2; The units of the smelting time y1 of the target and the arc ignition time y2 are min, and the units of the height x1 of the target material and the height x2 of the product to be plated are mm. The first metal plate is made of beryllium copper or stainless steel; 2. A multiarc source cathodic arc ion plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that The second metal plate is made of niobium-tungsten alloy.

3. The multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first metal plate is 1-3 mm, and the height of the first metal plate is greater than the height of the energized coil; The thickness of the second metal plate is 1-3 mm, and the height of the second metal plate is greater than the height of the product to be plated by 200-400 mm. The second metal plate is connected to the end face of the bottom of the vacuum chamber through a clamping groove; Each second metal plate is located directly above each first metal plate; 4. A multiarc source cathodic arc ion plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection mode between the second metal plates is riveting. When the thickness of the target material attached to the second metal plate exceeds 1 mm, the second metal plate is disassembled and the target material on the second metal plate is recycled. ​ 5. A multiarc source cathodic arc ion plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, ​ 6. A multiarc source cathodic arc ion plating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device further comprises a multi-arc source arc ion plating control system, which is used for controlling the action of the manipulator and controlling the arc starting of each target material.

7. A multi-arc source cathodic arc ion plating method, characterized by, The multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device is implemented by using the multi-arc source cathode arc ion plating device according to any one of claims 1-6, and comprises: m pieces of products to be plated are stored in a standby area of the vacuum chamber, and the m targets in the working area are tempered; After the tempering is completed, the manipulator moves the m pieces of products to be plated above the m targets in the working area, and the arc starting is implemented to ion plate the m pieces of products to be plated; During the tempering, the m targets are simultaneously arc started, and during the ion plating, the m targets are simultaneously arc started or each of the m targets is individually arc started.

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