초록 ▼

A powder of a composite material comprising a non-evaporable getter material with a palladium coating continuously sorbs hydrogen. Embodiments in which the coverage of the palladium coating over the particles of the NEG material is complete can sorb hydrogen without the need for an activation treatm

A powder of a composite material comprising a non-evaporable getter material with a palladium coating continuously sorbs hydrogen. Embodiments in which the coverage of the palladium coating over the particles of the NEG material is complete can sorb hydrogen without the need for an activation treatment. Other embodiments in which the palladium coverage is less than total but greater than about 10% can also sorb gaseous species other than hydrogen. Loose powders, pressed powders, and sintered powders of the composite material are incorporated into getter devices and into the evacuated spaces of double-walled pipes, dewars, and thermal bottles. Methods for preparing powders of these composite materials utilize evaporative, sputter, and CVD deposition techniques. Another method prepares powders of the composite material by a liquid phase impregnation process.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A composite material capable of continuously sorbing hydrogen, said composite material comprising: a plurality of particles of a non-evaporable getter material, said particles being coated over at least about 10% of their surfaces with a coating of one or more species selected from the group c

1. A composite material capable of continuously sorbing hydrogen, said composite material comprising: a plurality of particles of a non-evaporable getter material, said particles being coated over at least about 10% of their surfaces with a coating of one or more species selected from the group consisting of palladium, palladium oxide, palladium-silver alloys containing up to about 30% atomic percent silver, and compounds of palladium and said getter material. 2. A composite material according to claim 1, wherein between about 10% and about 90% of said particles' surfaces are coated with said coating. 3. A composite material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said non-evaporable getter material is selected from the group consisting of: Zr, Ti, Nb, Ta, and V metals; Zr alloyed with either Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Al, Cu, Sn, Si, Y, La, any of the rare earth elements, or mixtures thereof; Ti alloyed with either Zr, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Al, Cu, Sn, Si, Y, La, any of the rare earth elements, or mixtures thereof, and any mixture of the aforementioned metals and alloys. 4. A composite material according to claim 3, wherein said non-evaporable getter material is selected from the group consisting of Ti--V alloys, Zr--V alloys, Zr--Al alloys, Zr--Fe alloys, Zr--Ni alloys, Ti--V--Mn alloys, Zr--Mn--Fe alloys, Zr--V--Fe alloys, Zr--Ni--A--M alloys, and Zr--Co--A alloys, where A indicates Y, La, any of the rare earth elements, or mixtures thereof, and M indicates Co, Cu, Fe, Al, Sn, Ti, Si, or mixtures thereof. 5. A composite material according to claim 2, wherein between about 25% and about 75% of said particles' surfaces are coated with said coating. 6. A composite material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a thickness of said coating is less than about 5 μm. 7. A composite material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said particles of said non-evaporable getter material have a size less than about 500 μm. 8. A composite material according to claim 7, wherein said particle size is between about 20 μm and about 125 μm. 9. A pressed and sintered pellet of a composite material capable of continuously sorbing hydrogen, comprising: a plurality of particles of a non-evaporable getter material, said particles being coated over at least about 10% of their surfaces with a coating of one or more species selected from the group consisting of palladium, palladium oxide, palladium-silver alloys containing up to about 30% atomic percent silver, and compounds of palladium and said getter material.