Metallic solution gas atomization powdering device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a metal solution gas atomization powdering device and method, and the device comprises a gasification furnace, the upper end of which is provided with a feed inlet; the annular gas bin body is connected to the outer top wall of the gasification furnace, and the annular center corresponds to the feeding hole; an air inlet nozzle is fixed on the annular outer wall; an air guide channel is arranged between the annular outer wall and the annular inner wall; an air outlet is formed in the bottom wall; the melt crucible is fixed at the top end of the annular gas bin body, and a through hole is formed in the bottom wall of the melt crucible; the upper end of the gas-guide tube is fixed at the top of the melt crucible through a connecting piece, and the lower end of the gas-guide tube sequentially penetrates through the through hole and the annular center and enters the feed port; and a melt circulation gap is formed between the outer wall and the inner wall, opposite to the through hole, of the melt crucible and the annular inner wall. Through the double atomization process, the metal atomization efficiency is improved, and uniform and fine metal powder can be prepared; the structure is simple, operation is convenient, continuous production is easy to achieve, and production cost and maintenance difficulty are reduced; the device is suitable for atomization powder making of various metal materials and can meet the requirements of different industrial fields.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metal powder preparation technology, and more specifically to a metal solution gas atomization powder preparation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In modern industry, metal powders are widely used in additive manufacturing, powder metallurgy, coating technology, and other fields. The quality of metal powders directly affects the performance of the final product; therefore, preparing uniform and fine metal powders has become one of the key technologies. Traditional metal powder preparation methods mainly include water atomization, gas atomization, and centrifugal atomization, among which gas atomization is favored due to its high efficiency, uniformity, and ability to produce high-quality metal powders.

[0003] Gas atomization powdering is a process in which a high-speed fluid (gas or liquid) impacts a molten metal, breaking it into tiny droplets that are then condensed into solid powder.

[0004] However, existing gas atomization technologies have several problems, such as low atomization efficiency, uneven particle distribution, and large powder particle size. These problems mainly stem from insufficient interaction between the gas flow and the molten metal during atomization, resulting in ineffective breakup and refinement of the molten metal. Furthermore, traditional gas atomization devices are complex in structure, inconvenient to operate, and difficult to achieve efficient and stable continuous production.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a device that can achieve efficient atomization of liquid metal to prepare uniform and fine metal powder is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a metal solution gas atomization powder making device and method, which improves the performance of metal solution gas atomization powder making by preparing metal solution into uniformly distributed metal powder particles with fine particle size through secondary atomization technology.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A metal solution gas atomization powder making device, comprising:

[0009] A gasifier, wherein a feed inlet is provided at the upper end of the gasifier;

[0010] An annular gas chamber is detachably connected to the outer top wall of the gasifier, and its annular center is connected to the feed inlet; an air inlet is fixed on the annular outer wall of the annular gas chamber; a gas guiding channel is provided between the annular outer wall and the annular inner wall; and an air outlet connected to the feed inlet is opened on the bottom wall of the annular gas chamber.

[0011] A melt crucible, which is fixed to the top of the annular gas chamber, has a through hole in its bottom wall;

[0012] A gas guide pipe is provided, the upper end of which is fixed to the top of the melt crucible by a connector, and the lower end passes through the through hole, the center of the ring and enters the feed port in sequence; there is a melt flow gap between the outer wall of the gas guide pipe and the inner wall of the melt crucible opposite to the through hole and the inner wall of the ring.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the technical solution of this invention are as follows: the melt crucible is used to contain the molten metal and enters the gasification furnace through the gap of the molten fluid; high-pressure gas is introduced through the gas guide pipe, so that the molten metal is atomized into sheet-like melt at the feed port for the first time; after high-pressure gas is introduced through the gas inlet, it is sprayed out from the gas outlet through the gas guide channel, and the sheet-like solution is atomized a second time to form metal powder particles with a finer particle size. This invention adopts a secondary atomization technology, which significantly improves the atomization efficiency of metal and can produce uniform and fine metal powder.

[0014] Preferably, the width of the melt flow gap is 0.45–0.55 mm. Using a micron-sized melt flow gap enables a more stable formation of the liquid metal film.

[0015] Preferably, an airflow nozzle is fixed at the upper end of the air guide pipe. The airflow nozzle ensures a stable input of high-pressure gas.

[0016] Preferably, there are multiple connectors. The gas guide pipe corresponds to the center of the melt crucible. One end of each connector is fixed to the upper surface of the melt crucible, and the other end corresponds to the outer wall of the gas guide pipe. Fastening bolts pass through the other end of each connector and abut against the outer wall of the gas guide pipe. The gas guide pipe is supported at the center of the melt crucible by three connectors. The distance the lower end of the gas guide pipe extends into the feed inlet can be adjusted vertically using bolts, ensuring a more efficient and stable production process.

[0017] Preferably, the inner wall of the annular gas chamber is a gas guide surface inclined at 15° to 30° along the gas outlet direction. This inclined gas guide surface creates a vortex-like composite flow field between the gas ejected from the gas pipe and the gas ejected from the annular gas chamber, effectively extending the residence time of the molten metal droplets.

[0018] Preferably, the device further includes a boss, which is fixed to the inner top wall of the annular gas chamber, and one side wall of the boss is fixed to the side wall of the annular inner wall facing the gas guide channel. The boss restricts the diffusion of gas within the gas guide channel, causing high-pressure gas to flow along the gas guide surface, thus accelerating the gas flow.

[0019] Preferably, a connecting pipe is fixed circumferentially to the bottom wall of the melt crucible relative to the through hole, and the outer wall of the connecting pipe abuts against the wall surface of the annular inner wall; the lower end of the gas guide pipe is located in the inner cavity of the connecting pipe, and the outer wall of the gas guide pipe and the inner wall of the connecting pipe have the melt flow gap. The connecting pipe ensures the stability of the gas guide pipe support and prevents the gas guide pipe from shaking due to the impact of high-speed gas.

[0020] This invention also provides a method for preparing metal powder by gas atomization of a metal solution, which uses a metal powder preparation device from the above-mentioned technical solution to prepare metal powder by gas atomization, including the following steps:

[0021] S1. Pour the molten metal into the molten crucible, and the molten metal flows into the feed inlet from the molten flow gap;

[0022] S2. The gas pipe is connected to the gas source and high-speed gas is introduced, causing the molten metal to break into flake-like molten pieces.

[0023] S3: The air inlet is connected to the air source and high-speed gas is introduced, which breaks the sheet-like and molten metal into metal particles in a secondary process.

[0024] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a metal solution gas atomization powder making device and method. Through a dual atomization process, the atomization efficiency of metal is significantly improved, and uniform and fine metal powder can be prepared. The device has a simple structural design, is easy to operate, and is easy to achieve continuous production, reducing production costs and maintenance difficulties. It is applicable to the atomization powder making of various metal materials, has broad application prospects, and can meet the needs of different industrial fields. By optimizing the gas outlet structure of the annular gas chamber, the uniform particle distribution and fine particle size of the metal powder are ensured, thus improving the performance of the final product. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the powder-making device provided by the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the powder-making apparatus provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the melt crucible structure provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4Provided by the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of section A in the middle;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air chamber structure provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 A bottom view of the air chamber provided by this invention;

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged diagram of part B in the diagram

[0033] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the connection between the melt crucible and the gas chamber provided by the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged schematic diagram of part C in the diagram.

[0035] in,

[0036] 1-Gasifier; 11-Feed inlet;

[0037] 2-Melting crucible; 21-Connecting pipe;

[0038] 3-Annular air chamber; 31-Annular outer wall; 32-Air inlet; 33-Air guide channel; 34-Annular inner wall; 35-Air outlet; 36-Boss; 37-Assembly slot;

[0039] 4-Air guide tube; 41-Airflow nozzle; 42-Connector;

[0040] 5-Mel flow gap. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] Example 1:

[0043] See appendix Figures 1-9 This invention discloses a metal solution gas atomization powder making device, comprising:

[0044] Gasifier 1, with a feed inlet 11 at the upper end;

[0045] An annular gas chamber 3 is detachably connected to the outer top wall of the gasifier 1, and its annular center is connected to the feed inlet 11; an air inlet 32 ​​is fixed on the annular outer wall 31 of the annular gas chamber 3; a gas guiding channel 33 is provided between the annular outer wall 31 and the annular inner wall 34; and an air outlet 35 connected to the feed inlet 11 is opened on the bottom wall of the annular gas chamber 3.

[0046] The melt crucible 2 is fixed at the top of the annular gas chamber 3, and the bottom wall of the melt crucible 2 has a through hole.

[0047] The upper end of the gas guide pipe 4 is fixed to the top of the melt crucible 2 by the connector 42, and the lower end passes through the through hole, the center of the ring and enters the feed port 11 in sequence; there is a melt flow gap 5 between the outer wall of the gas guide pipe 4 and the inner wall of the through hole and the inner wall of the ring 34 of the melt crucible 2.

[0048] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the gasifier is used for the gas atomization production of metal powder particles. The lower end of the gasifier is connected to a powder collection tank. The gas guide pipe is displaced into the melt crucible and its lower end penetrates the annular gas chamber and extends into the feed inlet of the gasifier. The melt crucible is used to hold the metal solution. The metal solution is atomized for the first time through the gas guide pipe and atomized for the second time through the annular gas chamber. The dual atomization technology significantly improves the atomization efficiency of the metal and can produce uniform and fine metal powder.

[0049] To further optimize the above technical solution and ensure that the gas guide pipe can be stably supported in the middle of the melt crucible to prevent shaking caused by the impact of high-speed gas flow, a connecting pipe 21 is fixed circumferentially on the bottom wall of the melt crucible 2 relative to the through hole. The outer wall of the connecting pipe 21 abuts against the wall surface of the annular inner wall 34. The lower end of the gas guide pipe 4 is located in the inner cavity of the connecting pipe 21, and there is a melt flow gap 5 between the outer wall of the gas guide pipe 4 and the inner wall of the connecting pipe 21.

[0050] like Figures 3-5 As shown, the connecting pipe is fixed below the melt crucible, and the upper end of the gas guide pipe is supported by the connector, while the lower end is supported by the connecting pipe, which effectively ensures the stability of the gas guide pipe during the production process.

[0051] In other specific embodiments, there are multiple connectors 42, the gas guide pipe 4 corresponds to the center of the melt crucible 2, one end of the multiple connectors 42 is fixed to the upper end face of the melt crucible 2, and the other end corresponds to the outer wall of the gas guide pipe 4; the fastening bolt passes through the other end of the connector 42 and abuts against the outer wall of the gas guide pipe 4.

[0052] The connector is Z-shaped, featuring two vertical plates and a horizontal plate connecting them. One vertical plate is fixed to the upper surface of the melt crucible, while the other vertical plate has a threaded hole on its face corresponding to the outer wall of the gas guide pipe. A fastening bolt is screwed into the threaded hole and abuts against the outer wall of the gas guide pipe. The gas guide pipe is supported within the melt crucible by the fastening bolt and the connector. Loosening the fastening bolt allows for vertical adjustment of the lower end of the gas guide pipe relative to the gasifier, adjusting its position according to actual production conditions to ensure stable and efficient production.

[0053] In some other specific embodiments, in order to ensure the input of high-speed airflow into the air duct, an airflow nozzle 41 is fixed at the upper end of the air duct 4.

[0054] To further optimize the above technical solution, the width of the melt flow gap 5 is 0.45 to 0.55 mm.

[0055] The melt flow gap is controlled at the micrometer level, and the molten metal solution forms a ring-shaped liquid band within the melt fluid gap, thus achieving the formation of a stable molten metal film.

[0056] In this embodiment, the inner wall of the annular gas chamber 3 relative to the gas outlet 35 is a gas guide surface inclined at 15° to 30° along the gas outlet direction.

[0057] like Figure 8 and 9 As shown, through the inclined arrangement of the gas guide surface, when the gas in the annular gas chamber is ejected, it will form a three-dimensional jet angle of 15° to 30° with the gas ejection direction of the gas guide pipe, generating a vortex composite flow field, which effectively prolongs the residence time of the metal droplets (0.5-1.2ms) and can improve production efficiency.

[0058] In other specific embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, it also includes a boss 36, which is fixed to the inner top wall of the annular air chamber 3, and one side wall of the boss is fixed to the side wall of the annular inner wall 34 facing the air guide channel 33.

[0059] The protrusion is located above the air outlet. The protrusion occupies part of the space in the air guide channel, reducing the degree of gas diffusion and increasing the gas flow speed. At the same time, it gives the air guide channel a tapering ratio of 1:3.5.

[0060] To further optimize the above technical solution, the top surface of the boss 36 is provided with multiple assembly slots 37. When the air guide pipe 4 is inserted into the annular air chamber 3, an abutment can be embedded in the assembly slot 37. The abutment abuts against the lower outer wall of the air guide pipe 4, thereby further ensuring the stability of the air guide pipe 4 during the production process.

[0061] Example 2:

[0062] This invention discloses a method for preparing metal powder by gas atomization of a metal solution. The method uses a metal powder preparation apparatus as described in Example 1 to prepare metal powder by gas atomization, and includes the following steps:

[0063] S1. Pour the molten metal into the molten crucible, and the molten metal flows into the feed inlet from the molten flow gap;

[0064] S2. The gas pipe is connected to the gas source and high-speed gas is introduced, causing the molten metal to break into flake-like molten pieces.

[0065] S3: The air inlet is connected to the air source and high-speed gas is introduced, which breaks the sheet-like and molten metal into metal particles in a secondary process.

[0066] To further optimize the above technical solution, before pouring the molten metal into the molten crucible, the position of the gas guide pipe is adjusted so that the lower end of the gas guide pipe extends a certain distance into the inner wall of the gasifier relative to the feed inlet. This extension ensures that the lower end of the gas guide pipe and the gas outlet of the annular gas chamber can form a jet angle of 15° to 30° to create a vortex composite flow field. This allows the molten metal droplets to remain at the feed inlet for 0.5-1.2 ms, ensuring that the molten metal can be effectively atomized and powdered.

[0067] In this embodiment, the molten metal solution can form an annular liquid band along the flow gap of the melt. The high-speed airflow ejected from the gas guide pipe acts on the molten metal solution, effectively breaking it into finer flake-shaped melts. The high-speed airflow ejected from the annular gas chamber acts on the flake-shaped melts, and the fine flake-shaped melts are subjected to strong shearing and impact again, thereby achieving a second atomization, and finally obtaining uniform and fine metal particles.

[0068] This invention significantly improves the atomization efficiency of metals through a dual atomization process, resulting in uniform and fine metal powders. The device has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and is readily applicable to continuous production. It is suitable for atomizing and powdering various metal materials and has broad application prospects.

[0069] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0070] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A metal solution gas atomization powder-making device, characterized in that, include: Gasifier (1), wherein a feed inlet (11) is provided at the upper end of the gasifier (1); An annular gas chamber (3) is detachably connected to the outer top wall of the gasifier (1), and its annular center is connected to the feed inlet (11); an air inlet (32) is fixed on the annular outer wall (31) of the annular gas chamber (3); a gas guiding channel (33) is provided between the annular outer wall (31) and the annular inner wall (34); an air outlet (35) connected to the feed inlet (11) is provided on the bottom wall of the annular gas chamber (3); A melt crucible (2) is fixed at the top of the annular gas chamber (3), and a through hole is provided on the bottom wall of the melt crucible (2). A gas guide pipe (4) is provided. The upper end of the gas guide pipe (4) is fixed to the top of the melt crucible (2) by a connector (42), and the lower end passes through the through hole, the annular center and enters the feed port (11) in sequence. There is a melt flow gap (5) between the outer wall of the gas guide pipe (4) and the inner wall of the melt crucible (2) opposite to the through hole and the inner wall of the annular wall (34).

2. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the melt flow gap (5) is 0.45 to 0.55 mm.

3. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An airflow nozzle (41) is fixed at the upper end of the air duct (4).

4. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of connectors (42) is multiple. The gas guide pipe (4) corresponds to the center of the melt crucible (2). One end of each connector (42) is fixed to the upper surface of the melt crucible (2), and the other end corresponds to the outer wall of the gas guide pipe (4). The fastening bolt passes through the other end of the connector (42) and abuts against the outer wall of the gas guide pipe (4).

5. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular gas chamber (3) has a gas guide surface that is inclined at 15° to 30° along the gas outlet (35) relative to the inner wall of the gas outlet.

6. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a boss (36), which is fixed to the inner top wall of the annular air chamber (3), and one side wall of which is fixed to the side wall of the annular inner wall (34) facing the air guide channel (33).

7. The metal solution gas atomization powder making device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the melt crucible (2) is circumferentially fixed with a connecting pipe (21) relative to the through hole, and the outer wall of the connecting pipe (21) abuts against the wall surface of the annular inner wall (34); the lower end of the gas guide pipe (4) is located in the inner cavity of the connecting pipe (21), and there is a melt flow gap (5) between the outer wall of the gas guide pipe (4) and the inner wall of the connecting pipe (21).

8. A method for producing powder by gas atomization of a metal solution, characterized in that, The preparation of metal powder by gas atomization using a metal solution gas atomization powder preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 includes the following steps: S1. Pour the molten metal into the molten crucible, and the molten metal flows into the feed inlet from the molten flow gap; S2. The gas pipe is connected to the gas source and high-speed gas is introduced, causing the molten metal to break into flake-like molten pieces. S3: The air inlet is connected to the air source and high-speed gas is introduced, which breaks the sheet-like and molten metal into metal particles in a secondary process.

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