US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapor Synthesis versus Conventional Synthesis Methods of Advanced Ceramic Nanopowders

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This project supports a cooperative research project by Dr. H.Y. Sohn of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah and Mohamed Khedr fo the Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt. They plan to study "Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapor Synthesis versus Conventional Synthesis Methods of Advanced Ceramic Nanopowders." The research techniques will be applied to nanosized ceramic oxide powders which have important applications as advanced materials in many technological areas such as electronics, energy conversion, aircraft, catalysis, and structural materials. Improving the synthetic methods to prepare these materials will promote their cost-effective use in the many applications that rely on attractive properties such as high catalytic and electro-catalytic activity, superior mixing characteristics required for use in a host of applications such as coatings and fillers, enhanced sintering properties, and superior electronic and optical properties.The Chemical Vapor Synthesis (CVS) process for producing nanoparticles provides unique features that are often difficult to achieve with more conventional synthesis techniques, producing uniformly sized nanoparticles that also possess highly uniform compositions. This project aims to compare the properties of the materials prepared by the plasma vapor synthsis method with materials prepared using conventional methods. The proposed work will apply a plasma reactor to CVS of nanosized oxide powders as well as using an electrical resistance heated furnace. The oxide nanopowders made by the plasma-assisted CVS process will be carefully characterized to determine their properties for a range of applications. In the U.S. partner's laboratory, the CVS method has been applied to the synthesis of metallic and intermetallic fine powders and these results provide confidence that the process can be advantageously applied to the synthesis of useful ceramic powders. The research will contribute to the increased development of the plasma-assisted chemical vapor synthesis process as an advanced tool for producing many useful materials. The project will also promote the training of young scientists in this field, especially providing training opportunities for underrepresented groups in the U.S. and junior scientists in Egypt. The PI will actively recruit women and other minority students to assist in the performance of the project. Participants from both the U.S. and Egypt will also gain experience on international collaboration by mutual visits and exchange of ideas. The results of the proposed activities is expected to be disseminated broadly through conferences and publications, promoting applications of this technology that will benefit the scientific community and the general public. This project is funded through the US-Egypt Joint Science and Technology Fund Program. Support for the U.S. side of these cooperative projects is provided to the National Science Foundation by the U.S. Department of State. The Egyptian Government provides support for the Egyptian side of the collaboration.