Low cost processing to produce spherical titanium and titanium alloy powder
AssigneeMaterials & Electrochemical Research Corp.
InventorsJames C. Withers, Raouf O. Loutfy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Low cost spherical titanium and titanium powder alloy powder is produced by impinging a stream of an inert gas, such as argon, on the surface of a molten pool of titanium or sponge and alloying elements.
Claims27
A process for producing spherical titanium alloy powder comprising combining a molten pool or stream of titanium sponge and alloying elements to form a molten pool or stream of titanium alloy, impinging a stream of an inert gas across the surface of the molten pool or through the stream of titanium alloy melt whereby to dislodge droplet particles of titanium alloy from the molten pool or stream, and cooling and solidifying the dislodged droplet particles to form spherical titanium alloy powder.
A process for producing titanium alloy powders comprising forming a molten pool or stream of electrolytically-produced titanium powder containing residual salt, evaporating the salt, conveying the resulting titanium powder, minus the salt, to a plasma heating system together with alloying elements to form a molten pool or stream of titanium alloy, impinging a stream of inert gas across the surface of the molten pool or stream of titanium alloy to dislodge droplet particles of titanium from the melt, and cooling and solidifying the dislodged droplet particles to form spherical titanium alloy powder.
A process for producing spherical titanium alloy particles, which comprises co-melting titanium sponge containing residual magnesium chloride and magnesium metal with alloying elements in a plasma melter, evaporating the magnesium chloride and magnesium to form a pool or stream of titanium alloy melt, and impinging a stream of an inert gas across the surface of the titanium alloy melt or through the stream of titanium alloy melt to dislodge droplet particles of titanium alloy, and cooling the dislodged droplet particles to produce spherical alloy titanium powder particles.
A process for producing spherical titanium alloy particles, comprising electrolytically producing titanium powder in a stream of a salt electrolyte at or above an operating temperature of 500° C. in an electrolytic cell, conveying the titanium powder into an induction heated evaporator operated at or above 900° C. and under reduced pressure to evaporate the salt electrolyte, returning the salt electrolyte to the electrolytic cell, conveying the resulting titanium powder to a plasma melter along with alloying elements to produce a molten pool or stream of melted alloy, impinging a stream of inert gas on the molten pool or through the stream of melted alloy to dislodge droplet particles, and cooling and solidifying the dislodged droplet particles to produce spherical titanium alloy powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.