Method of processing metal powder

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of processing metal powder consisting a plurality of metal powder pellets, comprising the following steps: heating the metal powder pellets until they are in a liquid state, causing a collision of the liquefied metal power pellets with a heated impact body, the temperature of which is higher than the melting point of the metal powder pellets, to form metal powder pellets of reduced diameter, cooling the metal powder pellets of reduced diameter formed in the collision and collecting the cooled metal powder pellets of reduced diameter in a collecting vessel.

1 . Method of processing metal powder consisting a plurality of metal powder pellets, comprising the following steps:
 S 1 : heating the metal powder pellets until they are in a liquid state,   S 2 : causing a collision of the liquefied metal power pellets with a heated impact body, the temperature of which is higher than the melting point of the metal powder pellets, to form metal powder pellets of reduced diameter,   S 3 : cooling the metal powder pellets of reduced diameter formed in the collision and   S 4 : collecting the cooled metal powder pellets of reduced diameter in a collecting vessel.   
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the following step:
 S 5 : cooling the collected metal powder pellets of reduced diameter until they are in a solid state.   
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein an acceleration of the heated metal powder pellets takes place between the heating of the metal powder pellets and the causing of a collision. 
     
     
         4 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating of the metal powder pellets is carried out with use of an induction process, by radiant heat or in a hot protective gas flow. 
     
     
         5 . Method according to  claim 3 , wherein the acceleration of the metal powder pellets is carried out by a magnetic field, by means of a centrifuging process or by means of a protective gas flow. 
     
     
         6 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the impact body is an impact plate. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the impact plate is of propeller-shaped construction. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the impact plate is constructed to be movable. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder pellets of reduced diameter are subjected to a screening process and those metal powder pellets which do not run through the screen are reheated and subjected to a collision and those metal powder pellets which pass through the screen are collected in the collecting vessel. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the causing of the collision is carried out in a vacuum or in a protective gas atmosphere. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heated metal powder pellets are brought against one another for the collision.