Method For Manufacturing Metal Alloys And Metal Powders

A method for manufacturing a metal alloy using a feed material comprising:

• providing a process chamber having a first controlled atmosphere, a metallurgical system in the process chamber configured to perform a metallurgical process to form the metal alloy, a feed chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to contain a quantity of the feed material, a feed mechanism configured to transport the feed material from the feed chamber into the process chamber, a collection chamber in flow communication with the process chamber having controlled atmosphere capabilities configured to collect the metal alloy manufactured in the process chamber by the metallurgical system, a gate valve between the process chamber and the feed chamber configured to either allow passage of the feed material from the feed chamber to the process chamber, or to seal the process chamber from the feed chamber, a discharge valve between the process chamber and the collection chamber configured to either allow passage of the metal alloy between the process chamber and the collection chamber, or to seal the process chamber from the collection chamber, and a first vacuum pump and a first gas supply in flow communication with the feed chamber configured to form a first controlled atmosphere in the feed chamber and a second vacuum pump and a second gas supply in flow communication with the collection chamber configured to form a second controlled atmosphere in the collection chamber;
• forming a third controlled atmosphere in the collection chamber;
• feeding the feed material from the feed chamber through the gate valve into the process chamber;
• melting the feed material into a molten metal in the process chamber to form the metal alloy;
• and
• discharging the metal alloy from the process chamber through the gate valve into the collection chamber.