Producing void-free metal alloy powders by melting as well as atomization under nitrogen ambient
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce
InventorsFrancis S. Biancaniello, Gregg N. Janowski, Stephen D. Ridder
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Abstract
A method of producing nitrogenated metal alloys which involves melting a al alloy under a nitrogen atmosphere and subsequently gas atomizing the molten alloy with nitrogen gas has been found to produce alloys powders having a high nitrogen content and a minimum amount of hollow particles. The resulting alloy powders which demonstrate superior mechanical properties and heat and chemical resistance are easily fabricated into articles utilizing powder metallurgical processes.
Claims22
A method of producing a nitrogenated metal alloy powder which comprises the following steps:
- (a) melting a metal alloy under a nitrogen atmosphere to increase the nitrogen content of said alloy and thereafter
- (b) subjecting said molten alloy to a gas atomizing process to produce solid, substantially spherical shaped nitrogenated metal alloy particles, wherein nitrogen is utilized as the atomizing gas in said gas atomizing process and said gas atomization process is controlled so that nitrogen provided to increase said nitrogen content in step (a) is absorbed into the resulting metal alloy particles.
A method of fabricating a metal alloy article which comprises consolidating a nitrogenated metal alloy powder produced by:
- (a) melting a metal alloy under a nitrogen atmosphere to increase the nitrogen content of said alloy;
- and thereafter
- (b) subjecting said molten alloy to a gas atomization process to produce solid, substantially spherical shaped nitrogenated metal alloy particles, wherein nitrogen is utilized as the atomizing gas in said gas atomizing process and said gas atomization process is controlled so that nitrogen provided to increase said nitrogen content in step (a) is absorbed into the resulting metal alloy particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.