Alloy powder and method for preparing the same

Abstract

Provided is a method of preparing an alloy powder, comprising the steps of: melting the metal elements to produce the alloy solution; atomizing the alloy solution into small drops under oxygen-containing atmosphere; forcing the small drops to be quickly cooled under the driving of the atomizing flow to obtain the alloy powder; wherein, when the method is used to prepare Cu—In—Ga alloy powder, Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.5 to 1.1, In/(In+Ga) is 0.2 to 0.9, Ga/(In+Ga) is 0.1 to 0.8, In/(In+Ga)+Ga/(In+Ga) is 1. Also provided is an alloy powder and a method of preparing Cu—In—Ga alloy powder.

1 . An alloy powder, selected from any one of Cu—In—Ga, Ag—In—Ga, Au—In—Ga, Cu—Sn—Ga, Ag—Sn—Ga, Au—Sn—Ga, Cu—Ag—In—Ga and Cu—Au—In—Ga alloy powders, with oxidized particulate surfaces and an oxygen concentration lower than 5000 ppm. 
     
     
         2 . The alloy powder according to  claim 1 , wherein the alloy powder has an oxygen concentration in a range from 100 ppm to 3000 ppm. 
     
     
         3 . The alloy powder according to  claim 1 , wherein the alloy powder has a particle size in a range from 10 μm to 50 μm or 30 μm to 100 μm. 
     
     
         4 . A method of preparing an alloy powder, comprising the steps of:
 melting metal elements for preparing the alloy powder to produce an alloy solution;   atomizing the alloy solution into small drops under oxygen-containing atmosphere;   under the driving of atomizing flow, forcing the small drops to be quickly cooled, to obtain the alloy powder.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the alloy powder is selected from any one of Cu—In—Ga, Ag—In—Ga, Au—In—Ga, Cu—Sn—Ga, Ag—Sn—Ga, Au—Sn—Ga, Cu—Ag—In—Ga and Cu—Au—In—Ga, and based on the atomic ratio, Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.5 to 1.1, In/(In+Ga) is 0.2 to 0.9, Ga/(In+Ga) is 0.1 to 0.8, In/(In+Ga)+Ga/(In+Ga) is 1, Cu may be partially or totally substituted by Ag or Au, and In may be partially or totally substituted by Sn. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the metal elements are melted under vacuum atmosphere below 1000 Pa, optionally, in a range from 50 Pa to 500 Pa, to produce the alloy solution. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the metal elements are melted at temperature not lower than 650° C., optionally in a range from 750° C. to 1050° C., and for a period not shorter than 30 min. 
     
     
         8 . A method of preparing Cu—In—Ga alloy powder, comprising the steps of:
 disposing metal elements of Cu, In and Ga into a reactor;
 making the reactor in vacuum state, and then sealing and heating the reactor, to produce an alloy solution by melting the metal elements; 
 delivering the alloy solution into atomizing center of an atomization device, meanwhile, feeding a flow of high-pressure inert gas and oxygen-containing gas, to make the alloy solution atomized into small drops under the impact of the high-pressure inert gas; 
 under the driving of atomizing flow, forcing the small drops to be quickly cooled, to obtain the alloy powder. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein, based on that the total weight of the metal elements is 100%, the weight of In is 30% to 70%, the weight of Ga is 5% to 35%, and the weight of Cu is the balance, and each of the components In, Cu and Ga has a purity not lower than 99.99% and is melted in the reactor under vacuum atmosphere in a range from 50 Pa to 500 Pa at a temperature in a range from 750° C. to 1050° C. for a period not shorter than 30 min. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the high-pressure inert gas is N 2  or Ar gas with the pressure of 0.5 MPa to 5 MPa and the flow rate of 50 m 3 /h to 500 m 3 /h, and optionally, with the pressure of 1 MPa to 3 MPa and the flow rate of 100 m 3 /h to 400 m 3 /h. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the oxygen-containing gas is O 2 , compressed air or a combination of O 2  and compressed air, and optionally, both high-pressure inert gas and O 2  gas are fed into the atomization device at the same time with the flow rate of O 2  gas in a range from 10 ml/min to 2000 ml/min, further optionally, 50 ml/min to 1000 ml/min, or both high-pressure inert gas and compressed air are fed into the atomization device at the same time with the flow rate of compressed air in a range from 0.05 L/min to 20 L/min. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein both high-pressure inert gas and oxygen-containing gas are each independently fed into the atomization device at the same time through different pipelines, or mixed from different pipelines and then fed into the atomization device together. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the method is implemented in a gas atomization powder preparing apparatus, the reactor is a vacuum induction melting furnace of the apparatus, and the pressure difference between the melting chamber and the atomizing chamber of the apparatus is 500 Pa to 0.05 MPa, optionally, 1000 Pa to 10000 Pa, and the alloy solution is delivered into the atomization device though a conducting pipe with the diameter of 0.5 mm to 2 mm, and the high-pressure inert gas and the oxygen-containing gas delivered are sprayed via a high-pressure gas spray disc of the atomization device of the apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprise the steps of collecting and sieving the prepared alloy powder, optionally, by use of an ultrasonic auxiliary vibration sieve, and optionally, after the step of sieving, the prepared alloy powder has a particle size of 10 μm to 50 μm or 30 μm to 100 μm. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the prepared alloy powder has an oxygen concentration lower than 5000 ppm, optionally, in a range from 100 ppm to 3000 ppm. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The alloy powder according to  claim 1 , wherein, based on the atomic ratio, Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.5 to 1.1, In/(In+Ga) is 0.2 to 0.9, Ga/(In+Ga) is 0.1 to 0.8, In/(In+Ga)+Ga/(In+Ga) is 1, and Cu may be partially or totally substituted by Ag or Au, In may be partially or totally substituted by Sn. 
     
     
         20 . The alloy powder according to  claim 2 , wherein, based on the atomic ratio, Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.5 to 1.1, In/(In+Ga) is 0.2 to 0.9, Ga/(In+Ga) is 0.1 to 0.8, In/(In+Ga)+Ga/(In+Ga) is 1, and Cu may be partially or totally substituted by Ag or Au, In may be partially or totally substituted by Sn.