Metal powder atomization manufacturing processes

Abstract

There are provided reactive metal powder atomization manufacturing processes. For example, such processes include providing a heated metal source and contact the heated metal source with at least one additive gas while carrying out the atomization process. Such processes provide raw reactive metal powder having improved flowability. The at least one additive gas can be mixed together with an atomization gas to obtain an atomization mixture, and the heated metal source can be contacted with the atomization mixture while carrying out the atomization process. Reactive metal powder spheroidization manufacturing processes are also provided.

1 . A reactive metal powder atomization manufacturing process comprising:
 atomizing a heated reactive metal source to produce a raw reactive metal powder;   contacting said heated reactive metal source with an atomization mixture comprising at least one atomizing gas and at least one additive gas that is present at a concentration of less than 1000 ppm in said atomization mixture while atomizing said heated reactive metal source; and   forming, with said at least one additive gas, a surface layer on said raw reactive metal powder, said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon, comprises less than 1000 ppm of at least one element from said at least one additive gas,   wherein said surface layer comprises a first layer and a second layer, said first layer comprising atoms of said heated reactive metal source with atoms and/or molecules of said at least one additive gas, said first layer being a depletion layer deeper and thicker than said second layer, said second layer being a native oxide layer,   and wherein a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 53 μm of said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon, has a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon has a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon has a particle size distribution of about 15 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon has a particle size distribution of about 15 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 25 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 25 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon further comprises a particle size distribution of about 45 to about 75 μm having a flowability less than 28 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The process of claim  0 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 36 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The process of claim  0 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 30 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         12 . The process of claim  0 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 28 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         13 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The process of claim  0 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon further comprises a particle size distribution of about 45 to about 75 μm having a flowability less than 26 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         33 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The process of claim  0 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon further comprises a particle size distribution of about 45 to about 106 μm having a flowability less than 26 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         37 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said heated reactive metal source is contacted with said at least one additive gas at substantially the same time as contact with an atomizing gas. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said atomizing gas and said at least one additive gas are mixed together prior to contact with said heated reactive metal source. 
     
     
         45 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said first layer has a substantially positive charge and said second layer has a substantially negative charge, and wherein said first layer and said second layer have a combined charge that is substantially neutral. 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sieving said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon after atomizing said heated reactive metal source to separate said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon by particle size distributions; and   after said sieving, separately stirring said separated raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon in water.   
     
     
         48 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said surface layer thereon comprises less than about 500 ppm of said at least one element from said at least one additive gas. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said surface layer thereon comprises less than about 200 ppm of said at least one element from said at least one additive gas. 
     
     
         53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said surface layer thereon comprises less than about 100 ppm of said at least one element from said at least one additive gas. 
     
     
         55 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said surface layer thereon has an added content of an electronegative element from said at least one additive gas of less than about 500 ppm. 
     
     
         56 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said surface layer thereon has an added content of an electronegative element from said at least one additive gas of less than about 100 ppm. 
     
     
         60 . A reactive metal powder atomization manufacturing process comprising:
 mixing together an atomizing gas and at least one additive gas to obtain an atomization mixture;   contacting a heated reactive metal source with said atomization mixture while atomizing said heated reactive metal source to produce a raw reactive metal powder having a surface layer thereon;   sieving said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon to obtain a powder having a predetermined particle size; and   contacting said powder having said predetermined particle size with water.   
     
     
         61 - 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . The process of  claim 60 , wherein said surface layer comprises a first layer and a second layer, said first layer comprising atoms of said heated reactive metal source with atoms and/or molecules of said at least one additive gas, said first layer being a depletion layer deeper and thicker than said second layer, said second layer being a native oxide layer. 
     
     
         66 . The process of  claim 65 , wherein said first layer has a substantially positive charge and said second layer has a substantially negative charge, and wherein said first layer and said second layer have a combined charge that is substantially neutral. 
     
     
         67 - 78 . (canceled) 
     
     
         79 . The process of  claim 60 , wherein said surface layer thereon has an added content of an electronegative element from said at least one additive gas of less 100 ppm. 
     
     
         80 . The process of  claim 60 , wherein said predetermined particle size comprises a particle size distribution chosen from 10-45 μm, 15-45 μm, 10-53 μm, 15-53 μm, and 25-45 μm. 
     
     
         81 . A reactive metal powder spheroidization manufacturing process comprising:
 contacting a reactive metal powder source with a spheroidization process gas mixture that comprises at least one spheroidization process gas and at least one additive gas that is present at a concentration of less than 1000 ppm in said spheroidization process gas mixture while spheroidizing said reactive metal powder source to produce a raw reactive metal powder; and   forming, with said at least one additive gas, a surface layer on said raw reactive metal powder, said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises less than 1000 ppm of at least one element from said at least one additive gas,   wherein said surface layer comprises a first layer and a second layer, said first layer comprising atoms of said heated reactive metal source with atoms and/or molecules of said at least one additive gas, said first layer being a depletion layer deeper and thicker than said second layer, said second layer being a native oxide layer,   
       and wherein a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 53 μm of said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon has a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         82 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 10 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         83 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 15 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         84 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 15 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         85 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 25 to about 45 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         86 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises a particle size distribution of about 25 to about 53 μm having a flowability less than 40 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         87 . (canceled) 
     
     
         88 . The process of  claim 81 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon further comprises particle size distribution of about 45 to about 106 μm having a flowability less than 28 s, measured according to ASTM B213. 
     
     
         89 . A reactive metal powder spheroidization manufacturing process comprising:
 mixing together a spheroidization process gas and at least one additive gas to obtain a spheroidization process gas mixture;   contacting a reactive metal powder source with said spheroidization process gas mixture while spheroidizing said reactive metal powder source to produce a raw reactive metal powder having a surface layer thereon;   sieving said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon to obtain a powder having predetermined particle size; and   contacting said powder having said predetermined particle size with water.   
     
     
         90 . (canceled) 
     
     
         91 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is an oxygen-containing gas. 
     
     
         92 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is an oxygen-containing gas chosen from O 2 , CO 2 , CO, NO 2 , air, water vapor and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         93 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is a halogen-containing gas. 
     
     
         94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is a hydrogen-containing gas. 
     
     
         96 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is a sulfur-containing gas. 
     
     
         97 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one additive gas is a nitrogen-containing gas. 
     
     
         98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises at least one of titanium, zirconium, magnesium, and aluminum. 
     
     
         100 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon is a metal powder comprising at least one member chosen from one of titanium, titanium alloys, zirconium, zirconium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys. 
     
     
         101 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder with said surface layer thereon comprises titanium. 
     
     
         102 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said raw reactive metal powder comprises a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         103 - 110 . (canceled)