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AssigneeMax-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
InventorsJoachim P. Spatz, Moyu Watari, Reinhard Mager
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for producing elongate strands of metal comprises a rotatable wheel having a circumferential surface, at least one nozzle for directing a molten metal onto the circumferential surface and a collection means for collecting solidified strands of metal formed. The solidified strands are formed on the circumferential surface from the molten metal and are separated from the circumferential surface by centrifugal force generated by rotation of the wheel. The circumferential surface has a circumferentially extending structure having circumferentially extending edges and recesses formed between or bounded by the edges, and by an apparatus for controlling a gas pressure applied to the liquid metal which moves the liquid metal through the nozzle opening and delivers it to the circumferential surface of the rotatable wheel. The nozzle has a rectangular cross-section with a width of the nozzle opening in the circumferential direction of rotation of the wheel and a length transverse to the circumferential surface of the wheel which is greater than the width. A method and a wheel adapted for use in the apparatus are also claimed.
An apparatus for producing elongate strands of metal, the apparatus comprising a rotatable wheel having a circumferential surface, the circumferential surface having circumferentially extending edges and recesses formed between or bounded by the edges, each recess of the recesses defining a depth and a width with the depth being greater than 100 μm and the width being greater than 100 μm, a nozzle defining a nozzle opening having a width of between 10 μm to 100 μm for directing a molten metal onto the circumferential surface and to form solidified strands of metal on the circumferential surface from the molten metal, wherein the nozzle has a rectangular cross-section having a width of the nozzle opening in the circumferential direction of rotation of the wheel and a length transverse to the circumferential surface of the wheel which is greater than the width W, and wherein an apparatus is provided for controlling a gas pressure applied to the liquid metal which moves the liquid metal through the nozzle opening and delivers it to the circumferential surface of the rotatable wheel, wherein said wheel is mounted and configured to rotate within a chamber having an atmosphere at a higher pressure than ambient pressure.
A method for producing elongate strands of metal having at least one transverse dimension of 50 μm or less and a length at least ten times greater than said at least one transverse dimension, the method comprising the steps of directing a molten metal through a nozzle having a rectangular cross-section with a width of a nozzle opening in a circumferential direction of rotation of a rotating wheel and a length transverse to a circumferential surface of the rotating wheel which is greater than the width onto the circumferential surface of the rotating wheel, by applying a gas pressure to the molten metal to move it through the nozzle opening and deliver it to the circumferential surface of the rotating wheel, providing the circumferential surface of the rotating wheel with circumferentially extending edges and recesses formed between or bounded by the edges and collecting solidified strands of metal formed on the circumferential surface from the molten metal and separated from the circumferential surface by centrifugal force generated by rotation of the rotating wheel, the method further comprising the steps of controlling the width of the nozzle opening, controlling the gas pressure applied to the molten metal to move it through the nozzle opening and deliver it to the circumferential surface of the rotating wheel and controlling a speed of rotation of the rotating wheel to reduce a flow of molten metal onto the circumferential surface of the rotating wheel to a level at which it is concentrated by the forces that are acting at said circumferentially extending edges and recesses formed between or bounded by the edges and using these edges to concentrate the molten metal at the edges to produce the desired elongate strands of metal, the nozzle opening having a width of between 10 μm to 100 μm and wherein the rotating wheel is mounted and configured to rotate within a chamber having an atmosphere at a higher pressure than ambient pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.