Pore formation in atomized powders

Conclusions Experiments have demonstrated that contamination of an alloy with argon in the manufacture of an atomized powder takes place during two stages of the production process: during contact between argon and the melt in the furnace and during atomization. Contamination during the first stage is characteristic of centrifugal atomization, and during both stages, of gas atomization. The porosity of particles can be reduced by shortening the time of contact of argon with the melt in the furnace before atomization. The centrifugal atomization process enables the porosity of powder partieles to be decreased by a factor of 10 and the weight fraction of argon by a factor of 7–9 compared with the gas atomization method.Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 1(265), pp. 10–14, January, 1985.