Plant for electron-beam zone refining of material in space UNDER conditions of microgravity and space vacuum

摘要

The invention relates to nonferrous metallurgy, in particular - to the construction of a plant for electron-beam zone refining of material in space in the conditions of microgravity and space vacuum. The plant consists of the growing vacuum vessel, which has a vacuum-sealed body with the cooled cylinder walls, light ports and lid, electron-beam heater with a heat-insulating screen, carriers of the sample, drive of its moving, carriers of material sample, nipple for pumping of gaseous atmosphere from the mentioned vessel, high-voltage block of electric power supply and high voltage wire which are inclosed in a spiral. In the mentioned plant the growing vacuum vessel is separated from the drive of vertical displacement of electron-beam heater and auxiliary drive material sample rotation and high-tension block of electric power supply by vacuum-sealed bedplate. On the high-tension block of power supply at the values of current loading of IA=3-5 mA alternating voltage decreased in amplitude is automatically supplied from the inventery block of power supply which carries out limitation of current in a circuit of anode-cathode of electron-beam heater. The plant is also equipped with a video camera and source of reference radiation, located before the light ports. The invention provides increasing in quality of single-crystals produced by zone melting from semiconductor materials and sintered composition materials, decision of technological capabilities of the plant, increasing of efficiency coefficient and safety of zone melting process of materials on board of the space station.