# US 2024/0189906 A1 · Process for cooling and transporting metal powder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0189906 A1 - Document ID: US20240189906A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/286,599 - Filed: 2022-04-26 - Published: 2024-06-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-28 - Assignees: ArcelorMittal - Applicants: ArcelorMittal - Inventors: Benjamin BOISSIERE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240189906A1 ## CPC - B22F 9/082: {atomising using a fluid (using centrifugal force B22F9/10)} - B22F 2009/0848: {Melting process before atomisation} - B22F 2009/086: {Cooling after atomisation} - B22F 2009/0876: {by gas} - B22F 2009/0896: {particle transport, separation: process and apparatus} - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract 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. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-17. (canceled) ### Claim 18 A process for manufacturing metal powders comprising: discharging metal particles from a chamber of a gas atomizer into a conveyor; and simultaneously cooling and transporting the metal particles in the form of a fluidized bed formed in the conveyor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the metal particles are continuously discharged from the chamber of the gas atomizer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the metal particles are directly discharged from the chamber of the gas atomizer into the conveyor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the metal particles also are discharged from at least one further chamber of at least one further gas atomizer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the metal particles discharged from the chamber of the gas atomizer are at a temperature below 300° C. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the fluidized bed in the conveyor is formed by injecting air in the conveyor. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the fluidized bed in the conveyor is formed by injecting air in at least one section of the conveyor and by injecting an inert gas in at least one other section of the conveyor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the fluidized bed in the conveyor is a bubbling fluidized bed. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein the metal particles in the conveyor are cooled below 150° C. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The process as recited in claim 18 wherein, ahead of the discharging step, the metal particles undergo a first cooling step in the lower section of the chamber by injecting gas from the bottom of the chamber so as to form a bubbling fluidized bed of metal particles. ### Claim 28 An installation comprising: a gas atomizer including a chamber; and a conveyor connected to the chamber of the gas atomizer and including a lower duct for circulation of gas, an upper duct for circulation of powder material, a porous wall separating the lower and upper ducts over an entire length, a fluidization gas inlet positioned on the lower duct and a flow regulator coupled to the fluidization gas inlet for fluidizing, cooling and transporting metal particles to be discharged from the chamber. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The installation as recited in claim 28 wherein the lower duct includes two separate first and second sections, the first section having the fluidization gas inlet and the flow regulator and the second section having a further fluidization gas inlet and a further flow regulator. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The installation as recited in claim 28 wherein the upper duct has two sections, positioned vertical to sections of the lower duct and separated by a gas dam positioned transversally in the upper portion of the upper duct. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The installation as recited in claim 30 wherein the conveyor is connected to the chamber of the atomizer by the lower portion of an overflow and wherein one section of upper duct contains the lower portion of the overflow. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The installation as recited in claim 28 further comprising at least one further gas atomizer having at least one further chamber, the conveyor being a single conveyor connected to the chamber and the at least one further chamber. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The installation as recited in claim 32 wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of branches, one of the branches being connected to the chamber and another of the branches being connected to the at least one further chamber. ### Claim 34 (depends on 28) The installation as recited in claim 28 wherein the gas atomizer further includes gas injectors positioned at the bottom of the chamber and a flow regulator coupled to the gas injectors for fluidizing the metal particles to be accumulated in the lower section of the chamber and forming a bubbling fluidized bed of metal particles.