A process for manufacturing metal powders including (i) discharging metal particles from a chamber of a gas atomizer in a conveyor, (ii) simultaneously cooling and transporting the metal particles in the form of a fluidized bed formed in the conveyor. The invention also relates to the installation thereof.

An installation for the production of metal powders is provided including a gas atomizer comprising an atomization chamber having a top and a bottom, an atomization nozzle, positioned at the top of the chamber, through which liquid metal can flow, a gas sprayer, adjacent to the nozzle, through which gas can be jetted on the liquid metal and an opening at the bottom of the atomization chamber for discharging the metal powder, a double pipe heat exchanger comprising an inner pipe and an outer pipe, the two pipes being concentric, the inner pipe being connected to the opening at the bottom of the atomization chamber and the outer pipe being connected to the gas sprayer of the atomizer.

A corresponding process is also provided.

Provided are a silver powder having powder physical properties enabling reduction of volume resistivity after firing and a method of producing this silver powder. The silver powder has a tap density of 4.8 g/mL or more, a TAP/D50 value (value determined by dividing the tap density (g/mL) by the volume-based median diameter (?m)) of not less than 7 and not more than 15, and a specific surface area of not less than 0.75 m.sup.2/g and not more than 1.3 m.sup.2/g.

Provided are a silver powder having powder physical properties enabling reduction of volume resistivity after firing and a method of producing this silver powder. The silver powder has a tap density of 4.8 g/mL or more, a TAP/D50 value (value determined by dividing the tap density (g/mL) by the volume-based median diameter (?m)) of not less than 7 and not more than 15, and a specific surface area of not less than 0.75 m.sup.2/g and not more than 1.3 m.sup.2/g.

A process for manufacturing metal powders including: i) feeding an atomization chamber of a gas atomizer with molten metal, (ii) atomizing the molten metal by injection of gas so as to form metal particles, (iii) transferring the metal particles from the atomization chamber to a cooling chamber of the gas atomizer, (iv) cooling the metal particles in the cooling chamber by injecting gas from the bottom of the cooling chamber so as to form a bubbling fluidized bed of metal particles. A gas atomizer thereof is also provided.

A process for manufacturing metal powders including: i) feeding an atomization chamber of a gas atomizer with molten metal, (ii) atomizing the molten metal by injection of gas so as to form metal particles, (iii) transferring the metal particles from the atomization chamber to a cooling chamber of the gas atomizer, (iv) cooling the metal particles in the cooling chamber by injecting gas from the bottom of the cooling chamber so as to form a bubbling fluidized bed of metal particles. A gas atomizer thereof is also provided.

A method and apparatus for producing titanium metal powder from a melt. The apparatus includes an atomization chamber having an inner wall that is coated with or formed entirely of a titanium alloy that is the same as the titanium metal powder to prevent contamination of titanium metal powder therein. The inner surfaces of some or all components of the apparatus in a flow path following the atomization chamber may also be coated with or formed entirely of the titanium alloy or CP-Ti.

A molten metal fuel to plasma to electricity power source that provides at least one of electrical and thermal power comprising (i) at least one reaction cell for the catalysis of atomic hydrogen to form hydrinos, (ii) a chemical fuel mixture comprising at least two components chosen from: a source of H.sub.20 catalyst or H.sub.20 catalyst; a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; reactants to form the source of H.sub.20 catalyst or H.sub.20 catalyst and a source of atomic hydrogen or atomic hydrogen; and a molten metal to cause the fuel to be highly conductive, (iii) a fuel injection system comprising an electromagnetic pump, (iv) at least one set of confinement electrodes that provide repetitive short bursts of low-voltage, high-current electrical energy to initiate rapid kinetics of the hydrin reaction and an energy gain due to forming hydrinos to form a brilliant-light emitting plasma.

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.

A method of making dispersion-strengthened alloy particles involves melting an alloy having a corrosion and/or oxidation resistance-imparting alloying element, a dispersoid-forming element, and a matrix metal wherein the dispersoid-forming element exhibits a greater tendency to react with a reactive species acquired from an atomizing gas than does the alloying element. The melted alloy is atomized with the atomizing gas including the reactive species to form atomized particles so that the reactive species is (a) dissolved in solid solution to a depth below the surface of atomized particles and/or (b) reacted with the dispersoid-forming element to form dispersoids in the atomized particles to a depth below the surface of said atomized particles. The atomized alloy particles are solidified as solidified alloy particles or as a solidified deposit of alloy particles. Bodies made from the dispersion strengthened alloy particles, deposit thereof, exhibit enhanced fatigue and creep resistance and reduced wear as well as enhanced corrosion and/or oxidation resistance at high temperatures by virtue of the presence of the corrosion and/or oxidation resistance imparting alloying element in solid solution in the particle alloy matrix.