What Are Cheaper Alternatives to Quartz Tubing for Containing Hot Plasma?

[TESL@]

Hello,

I am doing a project which involves very hot confined plasma. The problem is, quartz tubing is way too expensive for me. I don't want to deal with impurities so I came to ask if you can suggest any cheaper alternatives. Here are my ideas:

1. Borosilicate glass with "getter" coating. (I don't know what will happen with deuterium)
2. Any material with quartz coating inside. (This sounds a bit impossible)

Thank you.

edit: http://phys.org/news184310039.html this seems interesting.

 

[Quantum Defect]

Hello,

I am doing a project which involves very hot confined plasma. The problem is, quartz tubing is way too expensive for me. I don't want to deal with impurities so I came to ask if you can suggest any cheaper alternatives. Here are my ideas:

1. Borosilicate glass with "getter" coating. (I don't know what will happen with deuterium)
2. Any material with quartz coating inside. (This sounds a bit impossible)

Thank you.

edit: http://phys.org/news184310039.html this seems interesting.

Is Fused Silica (quartz) really that expensive for the project? http://www.quartz.com/quartz.html

Vycor is a glass that is mostly fused silica (96%). It's melting point is significantly lower that quartz. Pyrex melts at much lower temperatures (820 C).

I found a 7 cm diam. Vycor tube on e-bay for ca. $100 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corning-Vycor-Glass-Tubing-No-7913-70mm-x-36-96-Silica-RARE-Glass/111529446335?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D28772%26meid%3De5b03af9b7684c9094d9a4a358565fa8%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D111529451243&rt=nc

If you don't need a transparent system, you might take a look at some ceramic materials.

 

[TESL@]

245.0 mm x 253.0 mm...... 0.216 ft...... 397.92 dollars (this is about my dimensions except the length, so it is my last choice considering the price)

I don't need a transparent system. Ceramic is actually very resistant to heat and cheap. However, I am concerned that ceramic will cause a lot of impurities when exposed to heat/radiation etc.

Here is something I found about past reactors:
https://books.google.com.tr/books?i...Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Aldermaston torus&f=false

It states that some pinch reactors actually used corrugated conductive materials for the vessel, which I didn't want to do because pulsed EMF can cause high eddy currents thus damage. Metal walls would be extremely easy to machine and experiment.

So ceramic, laminated metal or quartz regarding the properties in the following rank of importance:

1. Heat resistance
2. Low impurity levels
3. Low cost
4. Ease of processing

Thank you.

 

[berkeman]

when exposed to heat/radiation etc.

What kinds of radiation? At what levels?

 

[TESL@]

Mostly low intensity X-rays and longer wavelength blackbody radiation for a short duration. (miliseconds)

 

[berkeman]

Mostly low intensity X-rays

AT what level? How do you plan on shielding this apparatus?

 

[TESL@]

I am not planning to shield the device. If you are asking about the safety, the experiments will be made in a place far from people. If you are asking about the effects of X-ray intensity on the tube (which would be relevant to the thread) I have no idea since no tests are carried out.