Abstract 9520147 S.L. Girshick, U. of Minnesota A new method for creating nanostructured coatings or bulk materials by using a hypersonic plasma particle deposition will be investigated. The objectives of the research are to develop a plasma expansion process for high-rate synthesis of nanoparticles of hard non-oxide ceramics with minimum in-flight agglomeration, investigate the hypersonic impaction process for powder collection and in-situ compaction, and characterize the particles and corresponding deposits. Models will be developed for particle nucleation and growth, in-flight agglomeration and hypersonic deposition, and then applied to the experimental conditions in the laboratory. The project is technologically relevant to manufacturing nanoparticles and advanced ceramics coatings. ***
