Method for Producing Metal Products

Abstract

To produce products from metal, such as powders, foils, coatings and molded parts, such as pins, pipes or sheets, from metal in the form of a semifinished product ( 15 ), the metal of the semifinished product ( 15 ) is melted by an inductive magnetic field ( 12 ), atomized and allowed to solidify in a chamber ( 25 ) into a powder or sprayed onto a carrier and hardened on the carrier. The molten metal is supplied in a gas nozzle ( 10 ) which is made either as a Laval nozzle or as a Venturi nozzle, as a film ( 21 ) which is stabilized by gas flows ( 14 ), and is then atomized by other gas flows ( 13 ).

1 . Process for producing products from metal, especially powders, foils, coatings and molded parts, such as pins, pipes or sheets, from metal in the form of a semifinished product, in which the metal of the semifinished product is melted and atomized and finally hardened again, characterized in that the metal is melted without contact and is atomized by gas flows acting on the melt.  
   
   
       2 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal is inductively melted.  
   
   
       3 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal is supplied in the form of blocks which are melted off in the area of their sides.  
   
   
       4 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the molten metal is atomized in a gas nozzle into a spray jet by at least one gas flow being supplied to the gas nozzle.  
   
   
       5 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein two gas flows from opposing sides are supplied to the gas nozzle.  
   
   
       6 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the molten metal is atomized into an elongated spray jet.  
   
   
       7 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the molten metal of the spray jet is allowed to harden into a powder.  
   
   
       8 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the molten metal in the form of a spray jet is hardened on a carrier.  
   
   
       9 . Process as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the hardened metal is removed from the carrier as a metal foil.  
   
   
       10 . Process as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the hardened metal on the carrier forms a coating which remains on the latter.  
   
   
       11 . Process as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein spray compacting of metal is repeated to attain higher layer thicknesses of the product.  
   
   
       12 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the melted metal is atomized into an elongated spray jet over a width which is at least as great as the width of the product to be produced.  
   
   
       13 . Process as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the melted metal is atomized in a longish gas nozzle into a spray jet.  
   
   
       14 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein processing is done for a nickel-titanium alloy.  
   
   
       15 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one metal from the group consisting of iron, copper, aluminum, zinc, tin, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium or an alloy based on at least two of these metals is processed.  
   
   
       16 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal being processed is a superalloy based on nickel or cobalt.  
   
   
       17 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal being processed is a composite material of a high melting phase and a low melting binder matrix.  
   
   
       18 . Process as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the high melting phase is a carbide, oxide or nitride.  
   
   
       19 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein dispersoids are added from another nozzle in addition to the spray jet of molten metal in the form of droplets.  
   
   
       20 . Process as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein carbides, oxides and/or nitrides are added as the dispersoids.  
   
   
       21 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a separation agent is applied to the carrier in the production of a semifinished product before spray compacting.  
   
   
       22 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the semifinished product of metal is supplied in the form of bars, especially cuboidal bars.  
   
   
       23 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the semifinished product before it is used up is joined to another semifinished product which is connected to the almost consumed semifinished product.  
   
   
       24 . Process as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the semifinished products are joined to one another by welding.  
   
   
       25 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metal is supplied in a protective gas-filled housing to the gas nozzle.  
   
   
       26 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein following the gas nozzle there is a tank in which the melted metal is cooled into a powder.  
   
   
       27 . Process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the molten metal is formed into a film of metal melt by secondary gas flows in the region upstream from and in the gas nozzle.  
   
   
       28 . Process as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the film of metal melt is formed and stabilized by two secondary gas flows which are symmetrical with respect to the gas nozzle.  
   
   
       29 . Process as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the film of metal melt is atomized by primary gas flows after passage through the gas nozzle.