A tilting melting hearth system (10) includes a tilting melting hearth (12) for melting a metal (14) into a molten metal (16) and a central processing unit (CPU) (18) for controlling the tilting melting hearth (12) having an automated hearth tilting program (20) configured to select a hearth tilt profile based on a weight (66A) of the molten metal (16) in the tilting melting hearth (12). The tilting melting hearth system (10) can also include an atomization die (38) in flow communication with the tilting melting hearth (12) for receiving a stream of molten metal (40) and generating a metal powder (42), or a casting die (46) for generating a casting (48) of the metal (14). The tilting melting hearth system (10) can be used to perform a method for recycling scrap metal by automatically determining the weight of the molten metal (16) in the tilting melting hearth (12).

A tilting melting hearth system (10) includes a tilting melting hearth (12) for melting a metal (14) into a molten metal (16) and a central processing unit (CPU) (18) for controlling the tilting melting hearth (12) having an automated hearth tilting program (20) configured to select a hearth tilt profile based on a weight (66A) of the molten metal (16) in the tilting melting hearth (12). The tilting melting hearth system (10) can also include an atomization die (38) in flow communication with the tilting melting hearth (12) for receiving a stream of molten metal (40) and generating a metal powder (42), or a casting die (46) for generating a casting (48) of the metal (14). The tilting melting hearth system (10) can be used to perform a method for recycling scrap metal by automatically determining the weight of the molten metal (16) in the tilting melting hearth (12).

A method of producing iron powder by a water atomization process may include preparing a molten metal in a tundish, discharging the molten metal in a free-falling manner by opening an orifice formed on a bottom of the tundish, and producing iron powder by spraying water onto the free-falling molten metal using a pair of water spraying nozzles, an angle formed by the water spraying nozzles being at least 45.

A metal powder preparation system and method are provided. The metal powder preparation system includes a medium frequency smelting furnace, a homogeneous insulated quantitative pouring furnace, a precision-controlled liquid level temperature pouring ladle, and a plurality of groups of atomization mechanisms connected in sequence. The present application improves the preparation quality of the metal powder, so that the parameters such as the powder particle size, sphericity, fluidity, oxygen content, component distribution, and particle size distribution of the metal powder can all meet the requirements of high-quality metal additive manufacturing, achieving efficient and continuous preparation of the metal powder at the same time.

A high temperature process is provided, which can melt, atomize and spheroidize a coarse angular powder into a fine and spherical one. It uses thermal plasma to melt the particle in a heating chamber and a supersonic nozzle to accelerate the stream and break up the particles into finer ones.

Provided is a flaky soft magnetic powder composed of an FeSiAl alloy containing Si: 5.5 to 10.5 mass %, Al: 4.5 to 8.0 mass %, and Fe and incidental impurities: balance, wherein the flaky powder exhibits a ratio (D.sub.50/TD) of 35 to 92 where D.sub.50 represents the average particle size (gm) of the powder and TD represents the tap density (Mg/m.sup.3) of the powder, and the flaky powder exhibits a coercive force of 239 to 479 A/m as measured under application of a magnetic field in an in-plane direction of the flaky powder. The flaky soft magnetic powder exhibits superior sheet formability and has high magnetic permeability.

A powder metallurgy wear-resistant tool steel includes chemical components by mass percent of: V: 12.2%-16.2%, Nb: 1.1%-3.2%, C: 2.6%-4.0%, Si: 2.0%, Mn: 0.2%-1.5%, Cr: 4.0%-5.6%, Mo: 3.0%, W: 0.1%-1.0%, Co: 0.05%-0.5%, N: 0.05%-0.7%, with balance iron and impurities; wherein a carbide component of the powder metallurgy wear-resistant tool steel is an MX carbide with a NaCl type face-centered cubic lattice structure; wherein an M element of the MX carbide comprises V and Nb, and an X element comprises C and N.

An alloy structure which has high uniformity in the distribution of the element composition and the mechanical strength and excellent high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance, contains Fe and at least four elements, which are selected from the group consisting of elements from atomic number 13 to atomic number 79, included in Group 3 to Group 16 of the periodic table of the elements, and have a ratio of the atomic radius to an Fe atom of 0.83 or more but 1.17 or less, each of the elements in an atomic concentration range of 5 at % or more but 30 at % or less, a difference in atomic concentration among the at least four elements and Fe is in a range of less than 3 at %, and the alloy structure has, as a main crystal, a column crystal in which the at least four elements and Fe are solid-dissolved.

A system for metal powder atomization comprising a refractory lined melting furnace (1) configured to melt metal into a liquid metal bath (6), in which furnace (1) a drain (3) is arranged for draining liquid metal from the bottom of the furnace. The drain (3) is configured to be closed by a stopping member. The system comprises an atomization chamber (2) configured to receive and atomize liquid metal from the melting furnace (1). The system also comprises removal means controllable from the bottom region of the furnace (1) for removing the stopping member without interfering with the surface of the liquid metal bath (6). The removal means and the stopping member are configured such that the stopping member is removable independently of the temperature of the liquid metal bath (6) using the removal means.

Produced is a metal ball which suppresses an emitted dose. Contained are the steps of melting a pure metal by heating the pure metal at a temperature which is higher than a boiling point of an impurity to be removed, higher than a melting point of the pure metal, and lower than a boiling point of the pure metal, the pure metal containing a U content of 5 ppb or less, a Th content of 5 ppb or less, purity of 99.9% or more and 99.995% or less, and a Pb or Bi content or a total content of Pb and Bi of 1 ppm or more, and the pure metal having the boiling point higher than the boiling point at atmospheric pressure of the impurity to be removed; and sphering the molten pure metal in a ball.