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.

A method for printing a three-dimensional (3D) article is provided by the present disclosure. The method includes induction heating, by an induction head assembly, a magnetic material to form an alloy melt. The induction head assembly includes a nozzle and an induction heater that heats the magnetic material. The method further includes including the alloy melt from the nozzle onto a base, and tracing a predetermined pattern on the base with the alloy melt to form a three-dimensional article.

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 three-dimensional magnetic printer includes at least one induction head assembly including an induction heater to heat magnetic material to form an alloy melt and at least one nozzle operable to eject the alloy melt, a coating apparatus, and a base aligned with the at least one nozzle. The induction head assembly deposits at least one alloy melt layer and the coating apparatus forms at least one insulating layer onto the base in accordance with a predetermined pattern to form a three-dimensional article.

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 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 method for processing powdered starting materials includes a powdered material created and packaged under a protective gas atmosphere such that a protective gas is also present in the package, and the packaged powdered material is unpacked by a user and sent for further processing, wherein a gas detectable with sensors is supplied to the protective gas during packaging and/or in the packaging, or the protective gas is a gas that can be detected with sensors and the manufacturer and packager of the powdered material and/or the end user will examine the package with sensors to detect an escape of the detectable gas.

A powder metallurgy wear-resistant tool steel includes chemical components by mass percent of: V: 12.2%-16.2%, Nb: 1.1%-3.2%, C: 2.6%-4.0%, Si: 2.0%, Mn: 0.2%-1.5%, Cr: 4.0%-5.6%, Mo: 3.0%, W: 0.1%-1.0%, Co: 0.05%-0.5%, N: 0.05%-0.7%, with balance iron and impurities; wherein a carbide component of the powder metallurgy wear-resistant tool steel is an MX carbide with a NaCl type face-centered cubic lattice structure; wherein an M element of the MX carbide comprises V and Nb, and an X element comprises C and N.