Systems and methods for synthesis of spheroidized metal powders
Assignee6K Inc.
InventorsSunil Bhalchandra Badwe, Scott Joseph Turchetti, Sudip Bhattacharya, Makhlouf Redjdal
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems and method for processing feedstock materials using microwave plasma processing. Specifically, the feedstock materials disclosed herein pertain to metal powders. Microwave plasma processing can be used to spheroidize the metal powders and form metal nitride or metal carbide powders. The stoichiometry of the metal nitride or metal carbide powders can be controlled by changing the composition of the plasma gas and the residence time of the feedstock materials during plasma processing.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a spheroidized powder, the method comprising:
- providing a feedstock to a microwave plasma torch;
- introducing the feedstock into a microwave plasma generated by the microwave plasma torch, the microwave plasma generated by subjecting a reactive plasma gas to microwaves from a microwave power source;
- and
- forming the spheroidized powder, the spheroidized powder formed by at least partially melting the feedstock and initiating a chemical reaction between the feedstock and the reactive plasma gas within the microwave plasma torch.
A spheroidized titanium nitride powder comprising:
- a plurality of titanium nitride particles exhibiting a substantially spherical shape,
- the plurality of titanium nitride particles comprising a particle-size distribution between 15-106 microns and
- the plurality of titanium nitride particles comprising at least one of the following phases:
- α-Ti, TiN, Ti2N, or TiN2.
A method for manufacturing a spheroidized metal nitride powder, the method comprising:
- providing a metal powder as a feedstock to a microwave plasma torch;
- introducing the feedstock into a microwave plasma generated by the microwave plasma torch, the microwave plasma generated by subjecting a nitrogen-containing gas to microwaves from a microwave power source;
- and
- forming the spheroidized metal nitride powder, the spheroidized metal nitride powder formed by at least partially melting the feedstock and initiating a chemical reaction between the feedstock and the nitrogen-containing gas within the microwave plasma torch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.