Nanopowder production based on technology of solid raw substances evaporation by electron beam accelerator

Abstract A new high-efficiency method for producing of nanopowders of silica and oxides of other elements, metals, nitrides by evaporation of solids followed by condensation had been developed since 1991. Power density necessary for evaporation (up to 5000 kW/cm 2 ) is provided by industrial electron beam accelerator used as a heat source. It can supply the power up to 100 kW with electron beam of energy 1.4 MeV directed into the air or other gas under the atmospheric pressure. Nanopowder production is a continuous process with the efficiency up to tens of kilograms an hour. Essentially, it is as follows: evaporation of a solid by electron beam, fast cooling of vapor–gas mixture with the subsequent condensation of the substance as nanoparticles, extraction of nanoparticles produced and their collection as nanopowder.