ODS alloy powder, method for producing same by means of plasma treatment, and use thereof

A method for producing a reinforced alloy powder comprising particles each comprising a metal matrix and crystalline oxide particles dispersed in the metal matrix, the method comprising:

• (i) milling a powder mixture comprising (a) a parent metal powder comprising an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, or an aluminum-based alloy, as a master alloy, and (b) an additional powder comprising YFe3, Y2O3, Fe2O3, Fe3Ti, FeCrWTi, TiH2, TiO2, Al2O3, HfO2, SiO2, ZrO2, ThO2, and/or MgO, in a gaseous milling medium by a mechanical synthesis process, thereby producing a precursor powder comprising a metal matrix in which atoms of the additional powder are incorporated;
• and
• (ii) subjecting the precursor powder to a thermal plasma generated by a plasma torch comprising a plasma gas, thereby obtaining the reinforced alloy powder, the precursor powder being injected into the plasma torch via an injector at a flow rate in a range of from 10 to 19 grams/min, a plasma torch power in a range of from 20 to 40 kW, and a reaction chamber pressure in a range of from 25 to 100 kPa, an outside surface of the injector being swept with a sheath gas comprising a principal sheath gas and an additional sheath gas, the principal sheath being fed into the plasma torch, the additional sheath as having a hither thermal conductivity than the principal sheath gas and being infected into the plasma torch at a flow rate lower than a principal sheath as feed flow rate,
• wherein 80 to 100 wt. % of the particles of the reinforced alloy powder have an average circularity coefficient in a range of from 0.95 to 1.