Method of manufacturing an alloy powder with hard particles dispersed therein

Abstract

This invention provides a minute alloy powder with hard particles uniformly dispersed therein. The alloy powder may be used as a grinder material for finishing a specular surface or surfaces of other precision instruments or as a material for cladding and strengthening a surface of a parent material by welding the alloy powder. This alloy powder is manufactured by first blending metal or alloy particle powder having a particle diameter between 0.1.mu. and 300.mu., hard particle powder having a particle diameter between 0.1.mu. and 50.mu., and an organic binder. The resulting material mixture is granulated into granulated powder having a particle diameter between 300.mu. and 80,000.mu., and the powder is welded or dissolved with electric arc or plasma arc. The resulting welded bead or ingot is machined with a shaper into shavings, and the shavings are ground with a stamping mill into powder. The powder is classified such that the alloy powder having a particle diameter between 10.mu. and 10,000.mu. is sorted out. Since prior to the grinding step the powder, having a very minute particle diameter, is granulated, the time period required for the grinding step can be reduced to one third of that of the prior art.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.