Production of powder
AssigneeFHE Technology Limited
InventorJeffrey Stuart Coombs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of producing coated powder material is provided. In the method, molten metal or metal alloy is caused to fall in a stream (3) and is then atomized into a spray. A liquid or solid material of different composition is introduced and caused to contact the stream or spray so that a coating is formed over all or part of the surface of the atomized droplets. The coating may be the introduced material or a reaction product.
Claims14
A method of producing coated powder material comprising the steps of introducing into an atomized stream or spray of molten and/or solidifying droplets of metal or metal alloy a material comprising a mixture of potassium fluoride and aluminium fluoride, the material being substantially immiscible and insoluble in said molten metal or metal alloy, and said metal or metal alloy and said material being inert to each other, and causing the introduced material to contact the stream or spray of droplets so as to form a flux coating over all or part of the surface of the atomized droplets.
A method of producing flux coated metal or metal alloy powder comprising atomizing a stream of molten metal or metal alloy to form a spray of molten droplets, introducing into said stream or spray a material comprising a mixture of potassium fluoride and aluminium fluoride in molten or particulate form and which is of different composition and is substantially immiscible and insoluble in said molten metal or metal alloy, contacting said introduced material with the stream of molten metal or the molten and/or solidifying metal droplets of the spray such that a film of molten material spreads around the surface of the metal droplets providing a flux coating for said metal, and solidifying the material and droplets during flight to form said flux coated metal or metal alloy powder.
A method of producing coated powder material comprising the steps of introducing into an atomized stream or spray of molten and/or solidifying droplets of an Al/Si based alloy, potassium aluminium fluoride material, said material being substantially immiscible and insoluble in said Al/Si based alloy and said alloy and said material being inert to each other, and causing the introduced material to contact the stream or spray of droplets so as to form a flux coating of potassium aluminium fluoride over all or part of the surface of the atomized droplets.
A method of producing flux coated metal or metal alloy powder comprising atomizing a molten stream of an Al/Si based alloy to form a spray of molten droplets, introducing into said stream or spray a molten or particulate material comprising potassium aluminium fluoride, said material being substantially immiscible and insoluble in said Al/Si based alloy, contacting said introduced material with the molten stream or the molten and/or solidifying molten droplets of the spray such that a film of molten material spreads around the surface of the molten droplets providing a flux coating of potassium aluminium fluoride for said metal, and solidifying the material and droplets during flight to form said flux coated metal or metal alloy powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.