Oxidation resistant induction devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433072-B2
Application number	US-201414335999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	May 5, 2010
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to induction devices comprising an oxidation resistant material. In certain examples, the induction device comprises a coil of wire that is produced from the oxidation resistant material. In some examples, the oxidation resistant induction device can be used to sustain an inductively coupled plasma in a torch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of generating a plasma comprising:
introducing a gas into a torch body;
providing radio frequency energy to the torch using an induction device comprising an oxidation resistant material, in which the induction device is configured as a helical induction coil comprising a plurality of coil turns coupled to each other, in which the coil turns comprise an effective amount of the oxidation resistant material to permit a plasma to be sustained in the torch body for at least ten hours without substantial oxidation of the helical induction coil;
igniting the gas in the torch body to generate the plasma; and
sustaining the plasma in the torch body for at least ten hours without substantial oxidation of the helical induction coil.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the helical induction coil comprises a non-coated oxidation resistant material.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which the helical induction coil consists essentially of an aluminum alloy.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sustaining the plasma in the torch body for at least one hundred hours without substantial oxidation forming on the helical induction coil.

5. A method of generating a plasma comprising:
introducing a gas into a torch body;
providing radio frequency energy to the torch using an induction device comprising an oxidation resistant paramagnetic material, in which the induction device is configured as a helical induction coil comprising a plurality of coil turns coupled to each other, in which the coil turns comprise an effective amount of the oxidation resistant paramagnetic material to permit a plasma to be sustained in the torch body for at least ten hours without substantial oxidation of the helical induction coil;
igniting the gas in the torch body to generate the plasma; and
sustaining the plasma in the torch body for at least ten hours without substantial oxidation of the helical induction coil.

6. The method of claim 5 , in which the helical induction coil comprises a non-coated oxidation resistant paramagnetic material.

7. The method of claim 5 , in which the helical induction coil consists essentially of an aluminum alloy.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising sustaining the plasma in the torch body for at least one hundred hours without substantial oxidation forming on the induction device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the helical induction coil device to comprise one and one half turns to ten turns.

10. The method of claim 9 , in which the helical induction coil comprises at least 97% by weight of the oxidation resistant material.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the helical induction coil to comprise two and one half turns.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which the helical induction coil comprises at least 97% by weight of the oxidation resistant material.

13. The method of claim 5 , further comprising configuring the helical induction coil to comprise one and one half turns to ten turns.

14. The method of claim 13 , in which the helical induction coil comprises at least 97% by weight of the oxidation resistant paramagnetic material.

15. The method of claim 5 , further comprising configuring the helical induction coil to comprise two and one half turns to six turns.

16. The method of claim 15 , in which the helical induction coil comprises at least 97% by weight of the oxidation resistant paramagnetic material.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising externally cooling the helical induction coil with argon and air.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising internally cooling the helical induction coil with argon.

19. The method of claim 5 , further comprising externally cooling the helical induction coil with argon and air.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising internally cooling the helical induction coil with argon.

Assignees

• Perkinelmer Health Sci Inc

Inventors

• Morrisroe Peter J

Classifications

• H01F5/00

  Coils (superconducting coils H01F6/06; fixed inductances of the signal type H01F17/00) · CPC title

• H05H1/30 Primary

  using applied electromagnetic fields, e.g. high frequency or microwave energy (H05H1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01F27/23

  Corrosion protection · CPC title

• G01N21/73

  using plasma burners or torches · CPC title

• G01N21/3103 Primary

  Atomic absorption analysis · CPC title