US 11,920,235 B2
Elemental alkali-metal dispenser
David Hostutler, Albuquerque, NM (US); Matthew Bigelow, Albuquerque, NM (US); Rudolph N. Kohn, Jr., Rio Rancho, NM (US); Spencer Olson, Tijeras, NM (US); Matthew Squires, Kirtland AFB, NM (US); Daniel R. Blakley, Kaysville, UT (US); Eric Imhof, Calabasas, CA (US); Brian Kasch, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Mary Spanjers, Springboro, OH (US)
Filed by Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory, North Logan, UT (US); A-Tech Corp, Albuquerque, NM (US); and The Government of the United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Kirtland AFB, NM (US)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/700,872.
Application 16/700,872 is a division of application No. 15/867,308, filed on Jan. 10, 2018, granted, now 10,519,537.
Prior Publication US 2020/0102639 A1, Apr. 2, 2020
Int. Cl. C23C 14/14 (2006.01); C01B 32/156 (2017.01); C01B 32/20 (2017.01); C01B 32/215 (2017.01); C01D 17/00 (2006.01); C22B 26/00 (2006.01); C22B 26/10 (2006.01); C22F 1/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/26 (2006.01)
CPC C23C 14/14 (2013.01) [C01B 32/156 (2017.08); C01B 32/20 (2017.08); C01B 32/215 (2017.08); C01D 17/00 (2013.01); C22B 26/00 (2013.01); C22B 26/10 (2013.01); C22F 1/02 (2013.01); C23C 14/26 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for dispensing an elemental-alkali metal, the method comprising:
providing a highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite (“HOPG”) volume intercalated with elemental rubidium (“Rb”), the HOPG volume being positioned within a vacuum chamber at a vacuum pressure below 1.3×10−5 Torr;
heating the HOPG volume such that the HOPG volume emits the Rb at a partial pressure between 1×10−11 and 1×10−6 Torr, wherein the HOPG volume is intercalated with elemental Rb by vacuum baking the HOPG volume while the HOPB volume is positioned proximate the elemental Rb until the HOPG volume has increased in size.