Atomization processes for manufacturing a metal powder or an alloy powder having a melting point comprising of about 50 Celsius to about 500 Celsius are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, the processes comprise providing a melt of a metal or an alloy having said melting point of about 50 Celsius to about 500 Celsius 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. In at least one embodiment, the processes provide a distribution of powder with an average particle diameter under 20 microns with geometric standard deviation of lower than about 2.0.

A soft magnetic powder of the invention has a composition represented by Fe.sub.100-a-b-c-d-e-fCu.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cM.sub.dM.sub.eX.sub.f (at %) [wherein M is Nb, W, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti, or Mo, M is V, Cr, Mn, Al, a platinum group element, Sc, Y, Au, Zn, Sn, or Re, X is C, P, Ge, Ga, Sb, In, Be, or As, and a, b, c, d, e, and f are numbers that satisfy the following formulae: 0.1a3, 0<b30, 0<c25, 5b+c30, 0.1d30, 0e10, and 0f10], wherein a crystalline structure having a particle diameter of 1 nm or more and 30 nm or less is contained in an amount of 40 vol % or more, and the difference in the coercive force of the powder after classification satisfies predetermined conditions.

The metal powder producing apparatus includes: a first gas jet nozzle that includes jet holes disposed in a bottom surface of a gas jet device so as to form first rings each, and jets gas against molten metal flowing down through the liquid nozzles; a second gas jet nozzle that includes jet holes disposed in the bottom surface of the gas jet device so as to form second rings each on an outer side of a corresponding one of the first rings, and jets gas to prevent scatter of metal particles; and a third gas jet nozzle that includes jet holes disposed in the bottom surface of the gas jet device so as to form a third ring on an outer side of the second gas jet nozzle, and jets gas against an inner wall surface of the spray chamber.

Process for producing a tungsten oxide powder or a tungsten mixed oxide powder of general formula M.sub.xWO.sub.3, wherein M=Na, K, Rb, Li and/or Cs, 0.1x0.5, comprising the consecutive steps of: a) providing a solution comprising respectively at least one tungsten compound and optionally at least one M-comprising compound in a concentration corresponding to the stoichiometry M.sub.xWO.sub.3, b) atomizing the solution, thus forming an aerosol, into a reaction space, c) reacting the aerosol in the reaction space with a hydrogen/oxygen flame for which the expression 1<O.sub.2,primary/0.5H.sub.23 applies, wherein the reaction space is configured such that it comprises two reaction zones with two different velocities of the reaction mixture v.sub.1 and v.sub.2 where v.sub.2=0.3-0.8 v.sub.1 and 0.5v.sub.110 Nm/s, d) separating the solid from vaporous or gaseous substances and e) passing a reducing gas stream over the separated solid at a temperature of 450-700 C.

Process for producing a tungsten oxide powder or a tungsten mixed oxide powder of general formula M.sub.xWO.sub.3, wherein M=Na, K, Rb, Li and/or Cs, 0.1x0.5, comprising the consecutive steps of: a) providing a solution comprising respectively at least one tungsten compound and optionally at least one M-comprising compound in a concentration corresponding to the stoichiometry M.sub.xWO.sub.3, b) atomizing the solution, thus forming an aerosol, into a reaction space, c) reacting the aerosol in the reaction space with a hydrogen/oxygen flame having a lambda value<1, wherein: lambda=total oxygen/0.5hydrogen, d) separating the solid from vaporous or gaseous substances.

A metal-powder producing apparatus includes a spray chamber, and a plurality of spray nozzles that liquid-spray a melted metal into the spray chamber. Each of the plurality of spray nozzles includes: a liquid nozzle that allows the melted metal to flow down into the spray chamber; and a gas-jet nozzle that has a plurality of gas-jet holes arranged around the liquid nozzle and causing a gas fluid to collide with the melted metal having flowed down from the liquid nozzle.

A metal powder plasma atomization process and apparatus comprises at least one plasma torch, a confinement chamber, a nozzle positioned downstream of the confinement chamber and a diffuser positioned downstream of the nozzle. The nozzle accelerates liquid metal particles produced by the at least one plasma torch and also plasma gas to supersonic velocity such that the liquid metal particles are sheared into finer powders. The diffuser provides a Shockwave to the plasma gas to increase temperature of the plasma in order to avoid stalactite formation at an exit of the nozzle. The process increases both production rate of the metal powder and the yield of 45 m metal powder.

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.

A soft magnetic powder of the invention has a composition represented by Fe.sub.100-a-b-c-d-e-fCu.sub.aSi.sub.bB.sub.cM.sub.dM.sub.eX.sub.f (at %) [wherein M is Nb, W, Ta, Zr, Hf, Ti, or Mo, M is V, Cr, Mn, Al, a platinum group element, Sc, Y, Au, Zn, Sn, or Re, X is C, P, Ge, Ga, Sb, In, Be, or As, and a, b, c, d, e, and f are numbers that satisfy the following formulae: 0.1a3, 0<b30, 0<c25, 5b+c30, 0.1d30, 0e10, and 0f10], wherein a crystalline structure having a particle diameter of 1 nm or more and 30 nm or less is contained in an amount of 40 vol % or more, and the difference in the coercive force of the powder after classification satisfies predetermined conditions.

Atomization processes for manufacturing a metal powder or an alloy powder having a melting point comprising of about 50 Celsius to about 500 Celsius are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, the processes comprise providing a melt of a metal or an alloy having said melting point of about 50 Celsius to about 500 Celsius 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. In at least one embodiment, the processes provide a distribution of powder with an average particle diameter under 20 microns with geometric standard deviation of lower than about 2.0.

A method for producing a water-atomized prealloyed powder with high cold press formability, includes the following steps: (a) preparing a 400 mesh semi-finished prealloyed powder; (b) controlling the semi-finished prealloyed powder to have a moisture content of 1 wt % to 2 wt % and an oxygen content of 0.6 wt % to 0.8 wt %, and then drying in a vacuum drying oven at 100 C. for 90 minutes to 120 minutes, so that a preliminary bond is produced between powder particles; and (c) reducing, annealing, crushing, and sieving an initially bonded powder particle. The powder is changed from a spheroidal shape to more complex shapes such as rice ear shape, grape shape, and satellite powder, which greatly improves the cold press formability of the prealloyed powder; the method only performs simple surface modification of the powder without changing other properties, and has wide applicability.