Production of mechanically alloyed powder

A method for the production on a commercial scale of a mechanically alloyed powder product, said powder product being characterized in that it has or can be converted on heating to a substantially uniform chemical composition and microstructure, said powder product being convertible to an end product having predetermined properties and said powder being produced by dry, impact milling particulate components for the powder product in a gravity-dependent type ball mill in the presence of a predetermined amount of process control agent, said method determining the duration of time to produce a powder product having an apparent density of at least about 25% of the fully compacted density of the powder as compacted and extruded, the apparent density being determined according to ASTM Test No. B 212-48 (for flowable powder) or No. B 417-64 (for non-free-flowing powder), using said determination of the duration of time to obtain said apparent density in determining the duration of time for impact milling of the particulate components;

• whereby the mill throughput is maximized and an acceptable processing level is obtained for the powder product, said acceptable processing level being one criterion for determining whether the powder product is suitable for producing an end product capable of having the predetermined properties.

A method for the production on a commercial scale of a mechanically alloyed powder product, said powder product being characterized in that it has or can be converted on heating to a substantially uniform chemical composition and microstructure, said powder product being convertible to an end product having predetermined properties and said powder being produced by dry, impact milling particulate components for the powder product in the presence of a predetermined amount of process control agent, said method comprising impact milling said particulate components in the presence of the process control agent, sampling the mill product to ascertain its apparent density the apparent density being determined according to ASTM Test No. B 212-48 (for flowable powder) or No. B 417-64 (for non-free-flowing powder) and terminating the impact milling when the apparent density of the milled product is at least about 25% of the fully compacted density of the powder as compacted and extruded;

• whereby the mill throughput is maximized and an acceptable processing level is obtained for the powder product, said acceptable processing level being one criterion for determining whether the powder product is suitable for producing an end product capable of having the predetermined properties.

A method for the production on a commercial scale of a mechanically alloyed powder product, said powder product being characterized in that it has or can be converted on heating to a substantially uniform chemical composition and microstructure, said powder product being convertible to an end product having predetermined properties and said powder being produced by dry, impact milling particulate components for the powder product in the presence of a predetermined amount of process control agent, said method comprising using apparent density of the powder product for determining whether the powder has been suitably processed in the mill for conversion into said desired end product, to determine thereby at the powder stage that the powder has been suitably processed.