The invention relates to a production method of the powders composed of spherical heavy metal particles utilizing an ultrasonic atomization, where these powders can be applied in industrial applications, like additive manufacturing and several other. The method for production of heavy metal powders by ultrasonic atomization comprises providing a heavy metal raw material (5) in the vicinity of a heat source (13) being an electric arc (13), heating the heavy raw material (5) by the electric arc (13), so as to create a molten metal pool (21) on a sonotrode (3), the molten metal pool (21) having a temperature equal to or greater than the melting temperature of the heavy metal raw material (5), but below the vaporization temperature of the heavy metal raw material (5), providing ultrasonic mechanic vibrations by the sonotrode (3) to the molten metal pool (21), so as to cause the heavy metals droplets (11) being ejected from the molten metal pool (21), directing the ejected heavy metal droplets (11) away from the molten metal pool (21), so as the heavy metal droplets (11) freely cool down within a predetermined distance at least by radiation and transform to a heavy metal powder (11), collecting the heavy metal powder (11), so as to collect at least 75% of the heavy metal raw material (5) in the form of the heavy metal powder (11).

A method and system for recovering a high yield of low carbon ferroalloy, e.g., low carbon ferrochrome, from chromite and low carbon ferrochrome produced by the method. A stoichiometric mixture of feed materials including scrap aluminum granules, lime, silica sand, and chromite ore are provided into a plasma arc furnace. The scrap aluminum granules are produced from used aluminum beverage containers. The feed materials are heated, whereupon the aluminum in the aluminum granules produces an exothermic reaction reducing the chromium oxide and iron oxide in the chromite to produce molten low carbon ferrochrome with molten slag floating thereon. The molten low carbon ferrochrome is extracted, solidified and granulated into granules of low carbon ferrochrome. The molten slag is extracted, solidified and granulated into granules of slag.

A Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic bulk alloy has a three dimensional structure which includes a Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic component consisting of Fe.sub.a Co.sub.b P.sub.c B.sub.d Si.sub.e, wherein a, b, c d and e is the atomic percentage (at %) of each component to meet 76a80, 1b4, 9c11, 3d5 and 5e7.

A device for production of heavy metal powders by ultrasonic atomization from a heavy metal raw material is provided. The device comprises a feeding means, a heat source, an adjusting means, and a collecting means. The feeding provides the heavy metal raw material in the vicinity of the heat source, and the heat source generates an electric arc to heat the heavy metal raw material to create a molten metal pool on a sonotrode. The sonotrode provides ultrasonic mechanical vibrations to the molten metal pool to cause heavy metal droplets to be ejected from the molten metal pool. The adjusting means adjusts the feeding means, the heating means, and the sonotrode to direct the heavy metal droplets to cause the heavy metal droplets to freely cool down within a predetermined distance and transform the heavy metal droplets to the heavy metal powder.

A metal powder producing apparatus includes a molten metal supply unit, a cylinder body, and a cooling liquid introduction unit. The molten metal supply unit discharges a molten metal. The cylinder body is capable of being formed with a layer of a cooling liquid for cooling the molten metal on an inner circumference surface of the cylinder body. The cooling liquid introduction unit supplies the cooling liquid to an upper inside of the cylinder body. The inner circumference surface of the upper inside of the cylinder body has a substantially elliptical shape.

A method for producing a water-atomized metal powder, comprising applying water to a molten metal stream, dividing the molten metal stream into a metal powder, and cooling the metal powder, wherein the metal powder is further subjected to secondary cooling with cooling capacity having a minimum heat flux point (MHF point) higher than the surface temperature of the metal powder in addition to the cooling and the secondary cooling is performed from a temperature range where the temperature of the metal powder after the cooling is not lower than the cooling start temperature necessary for amorphization nor higher than the minimum heat flux point (MHF point).

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods and/or apparatuses involving the formation of pore-free or nearly pore-free liquid droplets. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, liquid droplets including metal are formed having pores within the liquid droplets. This may involve, for example, atomizing liquid metal with a gas and forming the droplets having pores. The pores are then driven out of the liquid droplets by heating the liquid droplets from a first state in which an outer surface of the droplets has a lower temperature than an inner region thereof, to a second state in which the outer surface has a higher temperature than the inner region.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods and/or apparatuses involving the formation of pore-free or nearly pore-free liquid droplets. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, liquid droplets including metal are formed having pores within the liquid droplets. This may involve, for example, atomizing liquid metal with a gas and forming the droplets having pores. The pores are then driven out of the liquid droplets by heating the liquid droplets from a first state in which an outer surface of the droplets has a lower temperature than an inner region thereof, to a second state in which the outer surface has a higher temperature than the inner region.

Provided are a fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method, which manufacture smaller fine particles. The fine particle manufacturing apparatus has: a raw material supply unit that supplies raw materials for producing fine particles into a thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw materials supplied by the raw material supply unit is evaporated by the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gaseous state; a plasma generation unit that generates the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch; and a gas supply unit that supplies quenched gas to the thermal plasma flame, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the quenched gas with time modulation of the supply amount of the quenched gas.

Provided are a fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method, which manufacture smaller fine particles. The fine particle manufacturing apparatus has: a raw material supply unit that supplies raw materials for producing fine particles into a thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw materials supplied by the raw material supply unit is evaporated by the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gaseous state; a plasma generation unit that generates the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch; and a gas supply unit that supplies quenched gas to the thermal plasma flame, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the quenched gas with time modulation of the supply amount of the quenched gas.