There are provided high melting point metal or alloy powder atomization manufacturing processes comprising providing a melt of the high melting point metal or alloy through a feed tube; diverting the melt at a diverting angle with respect to a central axis of the feed tube to obtain a diverted melt; directing the diverted melt to an atomization area; and providing at least one atomization gas stream to the atomization area. The atomization process can be carried out in the presence of water within an atomization chamber used for the atomization process.

The present disclosure is directed to methods of preparing substantially spherical metallic alloyed particles, having micron and sub-micron (i.e., nanometer)-scaled dimensions, and the powders so prepared, as well as articles derived from these powders. In particular embodiments, these metallic alloyed particles, comprising rare earth metals, can be prepared in sizes as small 80 nm in diameter with size variances as low as 2-5%.

An apparatus for producing metallic powders from molten feedstock includes a heating source for melting a solid feedstock into a molten feed, and a crucible for containing the molten feed. A liquid feed tube is also provided to feed the molten feed as a molten stream. A plasma source delivers a plasma stream, with the plasma stream being adapted to be accelerated to a supersonic N velocity and being adapted : to then impact the molten stream for producing metallic powders. The feed tube extends from the crucible to a location where a supersonic plasma plume atomizes the molten stream. The plasma source includes at least two plasma torches provided with at least one supersonic nozzle aimed towards the molten stream. The multiple plasma torches are disposed symmetrically about the location where the supersonic plasma plumes atomize the molten stream, such as in a ring-shaped configuration.

An apparatus for producing metallic powders from molten feedstock includes a heating source for melting a solid feedstock into a molten feed, and a crucible for containing the molten feed. A liquid feed tube is also provided to feed the molten feed as a molten stream. A plasma source delivers a plasma stream, with the plasma stream being adapted to be accelerated to a supersonic N velocity and being adapted : to then impact the molten stream for producing metallic powders. The feed tube extends from the crucible to a location where a supersonic plasma plume atomizes the molten stream. The plasma source includes at least two plasma torches provided with at least one supersonic nozzle aimed towards the molten stream. The multiple plasma torches are disposed symmetrically about the location where the supersonic plasma plumes atomize the molten stream, such as in a ring-shaped configuration.

A production method for water-atomized metal powder includes: in a region in which the average temperature of a molten metal stream is higher than the melting point by 100° C. or more, spraying primary cooling water from a plurality of directions at a convergence angle of 10° to 25°, where the convergence angle is an angle between an impact direction on the molten metal stream of the primary cooling water from one direction and an impact direction on the molten metal stream of the primary cooling water from any other direction; and in a region in which 0.0004 seconds or more have passed after an impact of the primary cooling water and the average temperature of metal powder is the melting point or higher and (the melting point+50° C.) or lower, spraying secondary cooling water on the metal powder under conditions of an impact pressure of 10 MPa or more.

A multi-stage gas atomization preparation method of titanium alloy spherical powder for a 3D printing technology includes the following steps: bar preparation and machining step, multi-stage gas atomization powder preparation step through vacuum induction, and powder screening step. The collision probability of the metal droplets at the gas atomization stage is reduced by controlling the gas atomization pressure and the feeding speed of the titanium alloy electrode bar in a hierarchical manner, so that the collaborative control of the particle size and the surface quality of the titanium alloy 3D printing powder in the gas atomization preparation process is realized.

Raw material feed into an electric arc furnace (“EAF”) is melted into heated liquid metal at a controlled temperature with impurities and inclusions removed as a separate liquid slag layer. The heated liquid metal is removed from the EAF into a passively heatable ladle wherein it is moved into a refining station where they are placed into a inductively heated refining holding vessel and wherein vacuum oxygen decarburization is applied to remove carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other undesirable impurities from the liquid metal. The ladle and liquid metal is then transferred to a refining station/gas atomizer having a controlled vacuum and inert atmosphere wherein the liquid metal is poured from an inductively heated atomizing holder vessel into a heated tundish at a controlled rate wherein high pressure inert gas is applied through a nozzle to create a spray of metal droplets forming spherical shapes as the droplets cool.

A metal powder production apparatus capable of easily preventing an oxide in a molten metal from entering a liquid nozzle is provided. The metal powder apparatus includes a first crucible heating and melting a melting material to generate molten metal, a first heating device heating and melting the metal in the first crucible, a stopper opening and closing a first opening provided on the bottom surface of the first crucible, an introduction pipe having one end connected to the first opening of the first crucible and leading a molten metal in the first crucible to the outside of the first crucible, a second crucible receiving the molten metal flowing out of the introduction pipe, a second heating device heating the second crucible, and a liquid nozzle provided on the bottom surface of the second crucible.

The present invention relates in a first aspect to an iron-based alloy powder containing non-spherical particles and at least 40% of the total amount of particles have a non-spherical shape. The alloy mandatorily comprises the elements Fe (iron), Cr (chrome) and Mo (molybdenum). Furthermore, the alloy may comprise further elements such as C (carbon), Ni (nickel), Nb (niobium) or Si (silicon). The present invention relates, according to a second aspect, to an iron-based alloy powder wherein the alloy comprises the elements Fe, Cr and Mo and the iron-based alloy powder is produced by an ultra-high liquid atomization process comprising at least two stages as defined below.

The present invention relates to an iron-based alloy powder containing non-spherical particles wherein the alloy comprises the elements Fe (iron), Cr (chrome) and Mo (molybdenum), and at least 40% of the total amount of particles have a non-spherical shape. In said iron-based alloy powder, Cr is present at 10.0 wt. % to 18.3 wt. %, Mo is present at 0.5 wt. % to 2.5 wt. %, C is present at 0 to 0.30 wt. %, Ni is present at 0 to 4.0 wt. %, Cu is present at 0 to 4.0 wt. %, Nb is present at 0 to 0.7 wt. %, Si is present at 0 to 0.7 wt. % and N is present at 0 to 0.20 wt. %, the balance up to 100 wt. % is Fe.