RESA—A wholly new process for fine oxide powder preparation

A new process for making fine (10–1000 nm) oxide powders has been devised. It is based on striking an are between two metallic electrodes submerged in a dielectric liquid, typically water. By controlling the process parameters (voltage, amperage, and composition of liquid), one can obtain fine sols of the anhydrous oxides of Al, Ti, Zr, etc., and exercise some control over the particular phase in variable valence metals such as Cr.