Blown to atoms: how to

make metal powders

Before anything can be manufactured from metal powder, the powder itself has to be made.
Most powders are made by the atomisation of molten metal John Dunkley looks at the
major atomisation methods in use...

p owt)Ek Metallurgy depends on the economic sup-

ply of consistent quality metal powders. T h e
majority of metal powders are now produced from
molten metals by atomisation. In water atomisation,
high-pressure water jets are used to break up, and quench
the molten metal. Particle size is closely related to pres-
sure. While many units operate at 100-200 bars and make
powders around 30-100 pro, some special units in Japan
operate at up to 1500 bars and make powders as fine as 10
~+Inl+
hi terms of tonnage, water atomisation is n o w the pre-
eminent mode of atomisation for metal, especially ferrous
metal, powders. Over 500 kt/yr of iron powder is atom-
ised. Any metal o r alloy that does not react violently
with water can be water atomised, provided it can be
melted and poured satisfactorily. However, it is tbund
that metals melting below about 500"C give extremely
irregular particles due to ultra-rapid freezing, which is
often undesirable. Thus zinc is the lowest melting metal
produced in this way commercially.
In general, water atomisation is cheaper than other
methods because of the low cost of the medium (water),
low energy use fi~r pressurisation compared with gas or air,
and the very high productivity that can be achieved - up
to ~0t/hour or 500kg/min. T h e main limitations of water
atomisation are powder purity and particle shape, partic-
ularly with more reactive metals and alloys. Melting units
from a few kilos to over 100 tons are in use.
A schematic flow sheet of water atomization is shown
in Fig. 1. Melting of metals follows standard procedures.
Air induction melting, arc melting, and fuel heating are

Hot water
tank
~ ~ ] Cooelr "' ~ I ~ H°ttank
water ~

"
• t' - JndishH.~P.Pump
/
Water
jets
I
4

C
Slurry 3ump

Figure t - Schematic Flow Sheet of W a t e r Atomisation

18 /', :'~; N o v e m b e r 2002 0o26-o657/o2/$- seefrontmatter© 2002ElsevierScienceLtd.All rightsreserved.


A Gassupply
II system
] ~ ] ~-~Z , ' ~ n d i s h l " - -
............
x ~
Figure 2 - Schematic How Sheet of Gas Atomisation
all suitable. Typically, the molten metal is poured into a
tundish, which is essentially a reservoir that supplies a
uniform and controlled head of molten metal to the
tundish nozzle. The nozzle controls the shape and size of
the metal stream and directs it through an atomising noz-
zle system in which the metal stream is atomised by high-
velocity water jets.
The slurry of powder and water is pumped to a first-
stage dewatering device (e.g. cyclone, magnetic system
etc) which often feeds a second stage (e.g. vacuum filter)
dewatering unit to reduce drying energy use. The pow-
der is then dried and may be sieved or further processed
as required. In the case of iron powder, annealing in a
reducing atmosphere is necessary to achieve good
compressibility.
Gas atomisation is the process where the liquid metal is
disrupted by a high-velocity gas such as air, nitrogen,
argon, or helium (Fig 2). Operating pressures range from
5-100bar. The higher pressures, often in the 15 - 60-bar
range, are used to make inert gas-atomised iron, nickel
and cobalt alloys, for example. Air-atomised non-ferrous
metals are normally made with pressures ranging from 3-
15bars.
Gas atomisation differs from water atomisation in many
respects. Rather than being dominated by pressure like
water atomisation, the gas flow rate is the dominant fac-
tor controlling particle size. Gas atomisers also come in a
wider range of designs than water atomisers, and are most-
ly classified as either "confined" or "free-fall" nozzle con-
figurations.
Free-fall gas units are very similar in design to water
atomising units. The metal falls into gas atomising jets
some distance from the ceramic nozzle with the result that
it is very difficult to bring the mean diameter of powder
www.metal-powder.net
below 50 to 60 pm on iron-
base material. However, they
are fairly simple and reliable.
As well as vertical designs
resembling water atomising
f Exhaust designs, there are a number of
II horizontal free-fall designs,
~7---~J where a melt stream is atom-
ised by essentially horizontal
gas jets. These designs are
widely used in zinc, aluminium
and copper alloy air atomisers.
Closed or "confined" nozzle
designs enhance the yield of
fine powder particles (~ 10 pro)
by maximising gas velocity and
i-- Sieve density on contact with the
metal. The gas contacts the
metal as it leaves the ceramic
nozzle. However, although
confined designs are more effi-
cient, they can be prone to
freezing of the molten metal at
the end of the tundish nozzle,
which rapidly blocks it. Great
care is needed in setting up
close-coupled nozzles, and the closer the coupling, the
greater the care (as well as the efficiency).
Inert gas-atomised powders are normally spherical,
while air-atomised powders are often irregular, due to an
oxide fihn forming on the molten droplets and inhibiting
spherodisation.
World-wide production of inert gas-atomised powder
is much less than that of water atomised powders, at
around 50,000t/yr. Metal feed rates are lower than in
water atomisation (typically 10-50kg/min), and melt size
is smaller, ranging up to six tons. The largest units are
used to produce High Speed and other special alloy
steels fur subsequent HIP compaction to produce either
PMHSS bar steel or special HiPped shapes (e.g. in dual-
phase stainless steels).
The second largest market is probably for thermal
spraying using plasma, flame and high-velocity oxygen
fuel torches. More modest amounts are vacuum melt-
ed superalloys for gas turbine applications. However
tonnage of air-atomised powders, especially zinc and
aluminium, but also tin, lead, and copper alloys, prob-
ably exceeds 300,000 t/yr. Most of these air atomisers
operate continuously for many hours or even days.
Multi-nozzle units are often used to boost output on
aluminium and zinc. Applications for air atomised
powders include non-ferrous powder metallurgy (e.g.
bronze filters, PM brass, tin for bronze bearings) but are
predominantly outside PM in fields such as chemistry,
smelting, pyrotechnics, paints and batteries.
The auth~
John Dunkley is the founder of Atomising Systems
Limited, based in Sheffield, UK.
Mt. R November 2002
.....~" 19