A plasma atomization metal powder manufacturing process includes providing a heated metal source and contacting the heated metal source with the plasma of at least one plasma source under conditions effective for causing atomization of the heated metal source. The atomization may be carried out using a gas to metal ratio of less than about 20, thereby obtaining a raw metal powder having a 0-106 μm particle size distribution yield of at least 80%. The process may further include aligning the heated metal source with the plasma of at least one plasma source. An atomizing system may include an alignment system positioned upstream of the plasma source and adapted to adjust an orientation of the metal source relative to the at least one plasma source.

An apparatus for efficiently preparing spherical metal powder for 3D printing includes a housing, a crucible and a powder collection area arranged in the housing, wherein a turnplate arranged in the collection area is an inlaid structure. A material having a poor thermal conductivity is selected as the base of the turnplate, and a metal material having a wetting angle less than 90° with respect to droplets is selected and embedded into the base to serve as an atomization plane of the turnplate. An air hole is disposed in the turnplate. The spherical metal powder for 3D printing combines electromagnetic force breaking capillary jet flow and centrifugal atomization, which breaks through the traditional metal split mode, and makes the molten metal in a fibrous splitting.

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%.

A control method of a metal powder manufacturing apparatus, the metal powder manufacturing apparatus including a crucible housed in a dissolving tank, a molten metal nozzle attached to a bottom surface of the crucible, a plurality of gas injecting nozzles arranged on a periphery of the molten metal nozzle within a spray tank, and an orifice portion disposed in an upstream portion of a flow passage in the molten metal nozzle, an inside diameter of the orifice portion being equal to or more than 0.8 mm and equal to or less than 3 mm, the control method including: making a pressure (Ps) of the spray tank higher than a total value of pressure (Ph) acting on an upper end of the molten metal nozzle and a pressure (Pm) of the dissolving tank when a melting raw material is molten within the crucible; and making the pressure (Ps) of the spray tank lower than the total value of the pressure (Ph) acting on the upper end of the molten metal nozzle and the pressure (Pm) of the dissolving tank when a molten metal within the crucible is made to flow down into the spray tank via the molten metal nozzle.

Provided is an integrated device for preparing magnesium hydride powder and a method for preparing magnesium hydride powder. The device comprises a heating chamber for heating a magnesium-based metal material to produce metal droplets; a powder-making chamber comprising an atomizing means used for atomizing the metal droplets which are then cooled to form a metal powder; and a reaction chamber used for performing a hydrogenation reaction on the metal powder to form the magnesium hydride powder. The device is an integrated structure monolithic with a simple structure and a convenient operation; and the entire process of preparing magnesium hydride powder can be completed in this single device and can realize automated control. The preparation method is simple and easy to operate and produces a product that has a moderate size, uniform particles, and excellent performance.

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.

An apparatus for efficiently preparing spherical metal powder for 3D printing includes a housing, a crucible and a powder collection area arranged in the housing, wherein a turnplate arranged in the collection area is an inlaid structure. A material having a poor thermal conductivity is selected as the base of the turnplate, and a metal material having a wetting angle less than 90° with respect to droplets is selected and embedded into the base to serve as an atomization plane of the turnplate. An air hole is disposed in the turnplate. The spherical metal powder for 3D printing combines electromagnetic force breaking capillary jet flow and centrifugal atomization, which breaks through the traditional metal split mode, and makes the molten metal in a fibrous splitting.

Devices, systems, and methods are directed to applying magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal to eject liquid metal along a controlled pattern, such as a controlled three-dimensional pattern as part of additive manufacturing of an object. Electric current delivered to a meniscus of the liquid metal in a quiescent state can be directed to exert a pullback force on the liquid metal. The pullback force can be sufficient to draw the liquid metal, in the quiescent state, in a direction toward the nozzle to reduce the likelihood of unintended wetting of surfaces of the nozzle between uses of the nozzle.