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MightyLev: An acoustic levitator for high-temperature containerless processing of medium- to high-density materials
James W E Drewitt1, Barnaby Emmens1, Zhe-Hui Kong1
1School of Physics, University of Bristol, H H Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, United Kingdom.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|October 9, 2024
Summary
MightyLev, a novel ultrasonic acoustic levitation device, achieves highly stable levitation for dense materials. This breakthrough enables advanced analysis and high-temperature processing, overcoming previous limitations in containerless experiments.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Acoustics
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Containerless processing is crucial for high-purity materials.
- Ultrasonic acoustic levitation offers a promising method for contactless manipulation.
- Previous acoustic levitation devices faced limitations with high-density materials and high-temperature stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize MightyLev, a new multi-emitter ultrasonic acoustic levitation device.
- To assess the stability of levitating medium- to high-density materials.
- To investigate the behavior of levitated samples during high-temperature processing.
Main Methods:
- Description of the MightyLev multi-emitter ultrasonic acoustic levitation apparatus.
- Levitation of materials with densities up to 11.3 g cm⁻³.
- Integration with mid-infrared laser heating for temperatures above 1500 K.
- Schlieren imaging to visualize the acoustic field and particle confinement instabilities.
Main Results:
- MightyLev demonstrated extremely stable levitation of high-density materials.
- Metallic and oxide materials were successfully levitated and melted above 1500 K.
- Schlieren imaging revealed hot-air jets along acoustic anti-nodes causing parametric lateral oscillations.
Conclusions:
- MightyLev provides exceptional stability for analyzing dense materials using spectroscopic and X-ray techniques.
- Understanding air jet dynamics is key to optimizing high-temperature acoustic levitation.
- The findings pave the way for advanced containerless material processing at extreme temperatures.
