Design and building
Design components and parts helping to build the cell
The "T" and everything that ends up in the cell was soaked or washed with alcohol. When dry, wash with acetone.
The parts regarding only the inner cell, from top to bottom:
High voltage pass-through on CF flange, copper CF gasket, CF "T", copper CF gasket, two sizes of ceramic tubes cut to appropriate lengths, two sizes of ceramic felt "spacers", thoriated tungsten TIG welding electrode; 3/32". Ceramic felt disc. Ceramic potting compound Resbond 919.
The assambly of the inside cell:
A cut length of smaller diameter ceramic tubes were put over the nickel electrode so they (both sizes) fit up inside the pass-through.
The nickel electrode was attached to tungsten electrode.
The appropriate length of the tungsten electrode was determined to cutt off, then sharpened.
The appropriate length of larger diameter ceramic tube was determined to reach the first felt spacers with smaller holes.
The number of 1/8" thick felt spacers with larger holes were used to ensure the outer tube stays centred in the cell and glue in place with Resbond 919.
The number of larger diameter tube spacers and small hole felt spacers were used, and assemble. When complete, the ends of the smaller and larger ceramic tubes should align.
Using the Resbond, the ends of the ceramic tubes were glued together, and to the tungsten.
The assambly of the inner cell:
The cell was scrubed from inside, rinsed and dried.
The ceramic felt disc was pushed to the bottom of the cell. The cleaned "T" was instaled to the cell via a copper CF gasket and the electrode assembly was carefully placed via a copper CF gasket into the cell.
The cell will have 2 RTDs and a thermocouple for calorimetry, a Nichrome heater for pre-activation and a copper electromagnetic coil.
The feed wires for these electrical devices will pass through 3 sealed 1/4" stainless tubes from the ambient environment to the vacuumed environment surrounding the inner cell.
Spark it up!
Detailed methodology in Evernote