Sublimation

From The Gemology Project
Revision as of 09:51, 1 September 2007 by Doos (talk | contribs) (Powder method)
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The sublimation method to create synthetic materials is a method where a solid is heated at high enough temperatures that it goes from the liquid state directly into the gaseous state, skipping the liquid state. The gas then condenses as a solid, again skipping the liquid state.
Synthetic moissanite is the main synthetic gemstone produced by this process.

There are several different setups to accomplish this, most of them use a seed plate and a powder source. Another way is by the use of gasses and a seed plate.

Powder method

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A powder of silicon carbide (1) is transported by a screw (3) that works like an Archimedes Screw just underneath a porous graphite plate (5). That screw is rotated by a rod (2).
When the powder reaches the stage just below the porous plate, it is heated at around 2,300° C and the powder goes into the gaseous state (4). This temperature is the sublimation temperature.

The surface of the seed crystal (8), or the growing crystal (7), is kept at a temperature just below the sublimation temperature (2,200° C) and the silicon carbide gas condenses at the surface of the seed crystal or the growing crystal.

An opening (6) in the, annular, graphite crucible holds an optical pyrometer that monitors the temperature of the seed's or growing crystal's surface. The seed crystal (8) is held by a mount (9) that in some setups can be lowered/raised/rotated depending on what the pyrometer indicates.