Behavior of liquid metal droplets in an aspirating nozzle

Measurements of particle size, velocity, and relative mass flux were made on a spray field produced by aspirating liquid tin into 350 °C argon flowing through a venturi nozzlevia a small orifice in the throat of the nozzle. Details of the aspiration and droplet formation process were observed through windows in the nozzle. The spatial distribution of droplet size, velocity, and relative number density was measured at a location 10 mm from the nozzle exit. Due to the presence of separated flow in the nozzle, changes in nozzle inlet pressure did not significantly effect resulting droplet size and velocity. This suggests that good aerodynamic nozzle design is required if spray characteristics are to be controlled by nozzle flow. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Spray Processing Fundamentals: Coating and Deposition” presented as part of the 1990 TMS Fall Meeting, October 9, 1990, in Detroit, MI, under the auspices of the TMS Synthesis and Analysis in Materials Processing Committee.