A DESCRIPTIVE MODEL LINKING POSSIBLE FORMATION MECHANISMS FOR GRAPHITE-ENCAPSULATED NANOCRYSTALS TO PROCESSING PARAMETERS

New and modified mechanisms are proposed to account for detailed obser vations of carbon encapsulation of Fe, Ni, and Co nanocrystals. The me chanisms are based on aerosol and gas phase chemistry and on the catal ytic effects of transition metals, Two parameters are found to qualita tively dominate production: the local-path carbon-to-metal ratio (LCM) and the global carbon-to-metal ratio (GCM). LCM's select which mechan isms are active along each pathway within the reactor, The GCM places bounds upon and determines the weighting between different LCM's and t hus determines the distribution of different nanoscale products within the collected, macroscopic product, A two part processing parameter - -> mechanism --> product map links the components, The generality of t he model is discussed throughout with reference to related processes a nd the encapsulation of other materials.