Continuous production equipment and process for high-purity low-oxygen niobium powder

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of niobium powder preparation, aims to provide continuous production equipment and process for high-purity low-oxygen niobium powder, and solves the problem of limited productivity caused by step-by-step mixing and compaction when niobium rods are produced by a carbon reduction method. Comprising a shell, a roller is arranged in the shell, one end of the roller extends out of the shell and is provided with a feeding port, a plurality of discharging ports are formed in the side wall of the roller in the shell, and an auger is coaxially arranged in an inner cavity of the roller; a blanking opening is formed in the side wall of the shell, a plurality of blank cylinders are arranged on the outer wall of the roller, rectangular grooves are formed in the blank cylinders, the blank cylinders are communicated with an inner cavity of the roller, and pistons and plungers are arranged in the blank cylinders; the piston is connected with a lead screw, the other end of the lead screw is screwed with two lead screw nuts, the two lead screw nuts are connected with a forward rotation module and a reverse rotation module respectively, and the forward rotation module and the reverse rotation module alternately drive the lead screw to rotate forwards or reversely when the roller rotates; when the lead screw rotates forwards, the piston presses the materials and enables the materials to be discharged from the discharging port, and when the lead screw rotates backwards, the piston is away from the plunger so that the materials can enter the blank cylinder from the discharging port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of niobium powder preparation technology, and particularly relates to a continuous production equipment and process for high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder. Background Technology

[0002] Niobium powder has been widely used in optoelectronic materials, aerospace alloys and superconducting wires. With the rapid development of new energy technology and quantum technology, the market demand for niobium materials is also growing. Among the various processes for producing niobium powder, the carbon reduction method has low raw material costs and can directly produce kilogram-level niobium ingots or niobium rods. It is the most economical method to obtain large quantities of niobium metal billets. Furthermore, combined with subsequent electron beam melting, it can produce 4N-grade niobium materials, which can meet the needs of most downstream industrial applications. Therefore, the carbon reduction method is the main method for the current industrial production of niobium ingots. However, carbon reduction is a solid-solid phase reaction, so the raw materials (niobium pentoxide) and reducing agents (high-purity carbon black or graphite powder) need to be fully mixed in proportion, and then a binder is added to press the material into a blank before it can be placed in a sintering furnace for reduction. Currently, the raw materials, reducing agents and binders are first added to a mixer in proportion for mixing, and then the mixed material is taken out and placed into a pressing device. The repeated taking and taking process not only delays production time, but also inevitably causes spillage and loss during transportation. Therefore, the current step-by-step mixing and pressing process is not suitable for large-scale industrial production in the future. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a continuous production equipment and process for high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder in order to solve the problem of limited production capacity caused by the step-by-step mixing and pressing of niobium rods in the carbon reduction method.

[0004] The technical solution includes a shell, which is cylindrical and horizontally arranged. A roller is coaxially arranged inside the shell. The roller can rotate relative to the shell. One end of the roller extends out of the shell and is provided with a feed inlet. Multiple discharge ports are evenly distributed on the circumference of the roller sidewall inside the shell. An auger is coaxially arranged in the inner cavity of the roller between the feed inlet and the discharge port. The shell has a material discharge port on its side wall. The outer wall of the drum inside the shell is equipped with multiple billet cylinders. The billet cylinders have rectangular grooves and are connected to the inner cavity of the drum through the rectangular grooves and the discharge port. The billet cylinders are equipped with pistons and plungers. A lead screw is coaxially connected to the piston. The other end of the lead screw extends out of the billet cylinder and is screwed with two lead screw nuts. The two lead screw nuts are respectively connected to a forward rotation module and a reverse rotation module. When the drum rotates, the forward rotation module and the reverse rotation module alternately drive the lead screw to rotate forward or reverse through the lead screw nuts. When the lead screw rotates forward, the piston moves toward the plunger to press the material and discharge it from the material discharge port. When the lead screw rotates in reverse, the piston moves away from the plunger and the material enters the billet cylinder from the discharge port.

[0005] In the above or some embodiments, both the shell and the roller are cylindrical bodies that are closed at one end and open at the other. The opening on the roller is the feed inlet. A ring is welded to the inner wall of the closed end of the shell. The roller is connected to the open end of the shell and the ring through a bearing, so that the roller can rotate inside the shell. An inspection port is opened on the side of the shell away from the feed inlet. A cover plate is fixed to the inspection port by bolts. When in use, the cover plate can be removed to maintain the structure inside the shell through the inspection port. A base is fixed at the bottom of the shell.

[0006] In the above or some embodiments, an end face gear is fixed on the outer wall of the roller inside the housing, a clearance groove is provided on the housing below the end face gear, a motor is fixed on the base, the output shaft of the motor passes through the clearance groove and extends into the housing and is fixed with a drive gear, the drive gear always meshes with the end face gear; when in use, the motor drives the roller to rotate inside the housing through the drive gear and the end face gear.

[0007] In the above or some embodiments, the auger is a shaftless auger, which is welded and fixed to the inner wall of the drum. Multiple partitions are welded radially to the inner wall of the drum, and each partition is welded to the auger on both sides. After the material enters the rotating drum from the feed port, the auger slowly pushes the material towards the discharge port. The partitions lift the material and force it to be separated and merged by other partitions when it falls, thereby improving the mixing effect of the drum.

[0008] In the above or some embodiments, the billet cylinder is a square column with a square through groove. The piston and plunger are both square and fit the inner wall of the through groove. A rectangular groove penetrates the inner wall of the through groove and the outer wall of the billet cylinder. The rectangular groove and the discharge port have the same cross-sectional shape and size. The billet cylinder is fixed to the outer wall of the drum by bolts. The rectangular groove fits and aligns with the discharge port, which facilitates the material to pass through the discharge port and the rectangular groove into the billet cylinder.

[0009] In the above or some embodiments, both the forward rotation module and the reverse rotation module include a support frame. One end of the support frame has a through hole, and the lead screw nut is connected to the through hole through a bearing. A driven gear is coaxially fixed on the lead screw nut, and the other end of the support frame is connected to a driving gear through a bearing. The driving gear and the driven gear in the forward rotation module are always meshed, and an intermediate gear is always meshed between the driving gear and the driven gear in the reverse rotation module. Two arc-shaped racks are fixed on the inner wall of the housing. The fan-shaped areas corresponding to the two racks are not coplanar and do not overlap in the axial projection. When the drum rotates, the driving gears on the forward rotation module and the reverse rotation module mesh with the two racks respectively. When the driving gear in the forward rotation module meshes with the rack, the lead screw nut connected to the forward rotation module drives the lead screw to rotate forward, and the piston moves towards the plunger to press the material. When the driving gear in the reverse rotation module meshes with the rack, the lead screw nut connected to the reverse rotation module drives the lead screw to rotate in reverse, and the piston moves away from the plunger so that the material can enter the billet cylinder from the discharge port and the rectangular groove.

[0010] In the above or some embodiments, the support frame includes an arc-shaped base plate with two vertical plates welded to it. The through hole is located on the vertical plates, and each vertical plate has an arc-shaped groove. An arc-shaped slider is provided in the groove. The slider, the groove, and the base plate are all coaxial with the roller. The driving gear is connected to the slider on both sides through bearings. A spring is provided between the slider and the groove. The spring prevents the slider from sliding when there is no external force. When the driving gear begins to mesh with the rack, the slider compresses the spring and slides in the groove. When the slider slides, the driving gear is always meshed with the driven gear or intermediate gear. The slider and the groove allow the driving gear to slide backward in the direction of roller rotation when it begins to mesh with the rack, thereby reducing or mitigating tooth knocking.

[0011] In the above or some embodiments, a bearing seat is provided on the side of the billet cylinder away from the piston. The bearing seat is fixed to the roller. A short shaft is coaxially provided inside the bearing seat. The short shaft can slide axially relative to the bearing seat. One end of the short shaft is fixed to the plunger. A first compression spring is provided between the plunger and the bearing seat. The other end of the short shaft is located on the side of the bearing seat away from the billet cylinder and is fixed with a stop block. A wedge block is fixed on the inner wall of the housing. One side of the wedge block is coplanar with the side of the bearing seat away from the billet cylinder. The distance between the other side of the wedge block and the side wall of the bearing seat away from the billet cylinder gradually increases in the direction of roller rotation. When the stop block rotates with the roller, it pushes the plunger to compress the first compression spring and move it. An inclined guide plate is fixed on the discharge port. One end of the guide plate extends between the billet cylinder and the bearing seat and is located in the fan-shaped projection area where the wedge block is located. Selecting different specifications of the first compression spring can adjust the forming pressure of the billet. When the stop block contacts the wedge block, it can disengage the plunger from the billet cylinder, thereby allowing the guide plate to remove the billet from between the piston and the plunger and exit the housing.

[0012] In the above or some embodiments, the length of the piston is greater than the length of the discharge port on the roller axis; this allows the piston to completely close the rectangular groove, preventing material from falling from the rectangular groove into the area where the lead screw is located; a recessed groove is opened on the side of the piston near the lead screw, and a retaining ring is provided at the opening of the recessed groove. The end of the lead screw passes through the retaining ring and extends into the recessed groove, where a rectangular block is fixed. The outer contour dimension of the rectangular block is greater than the inner contour dimension of the retaining ring. A second compression spring is provided between the rectangular block and the recessed groove, and an end face bearing is provided between the rectangular block and the second compression spring; the second compression spring allows the piston to still move towards the plunger after the forward rotation module disengages from the rack, thereby pushing the material billet out of the billet cylinder. The end face bearing can prevent frictional wear between the rectangular block and the spring when the rectangular block rotates with the lead screw.

[0013] A continuous production process for high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder is as follows: S1: Remove the cover plate, remove the bearing housing through the inspection port, and install the first compression spring of the appropriate specification; S2: Check if the forward and reverse rotation modules are stuck during rotation, replace any parts that need maintenance, and then reinstall the cover plate; S3: Start the motor power and continuously feed the material into the feed inlet in proportion; S4: Assign a dedicated person to collect and store the materials that slip off the guide plate; S5: After stopping feeding, keep the motor running until no blanks slip off the guide plate or the slipped blanks are obviously loose. Then turn off the motor and clean the inside of the drum.

[0014] This technical solution has the following technical effects: 1. This solution adds a cylindrical shell coaxially to the outside of a conventional drum mixer and sets up a pressing component between the drum and the shell. The pressing action is achieved by the relative rotation of the drum and the shell, realizing continuous operation of a single device from drum mixing to pressing in the cylinder. This not only saves the production time occupied by repeated material transfer, but also avoids material leakage and loss caused by transfer, which helps to improve production efficiency and reduce losses.

[0015] 2. This solution adds baffles to the existing drum mixer, so that while lifting the material, the baffles can also forcibly separate and merge the material that is sliding down, fully simulating the mixing action of the V-shaped mixer. This not only ensures the full mixing of raw materials and reducing agents, but also achieves continuous feeding and discharging compared to the V-shaped mixer, making it more suitable for modern, large-scale production in factories. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is the front view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the present invention after the shell has been removed; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the forward rotation module and the reverse rotation module of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an assembly drawing of the support frame and slider of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the blank cylinder, piston, and plunger of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the roller of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the internal structure of the drum of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a part drawing of the blank cylinder of the present invention.

[0017] Legend: 1. Shell; 2. Drum; 3. Inlet; 4. Outlet; 5. Screw; 6. Drop outlet; 7. Billet cylinder; 8. Rectangular groove; 9. Piston; 10. Plunger; 11. Lead screw; 12. Lead screw nut; 13. Forward rotation module; 14. Reverse rotation module; 15. Ring; 16. Cover plate; 17. Base; 18. End face gear; 19. Motor; 20. Drive gear; 21. Partition plate; 22. 23. Through slot; 24. Support frame; 25. Through hole; 26. Driven gear; 27. Driven gear; 28. Intermediate gear; 29. ​​Rack; 20. Base plate; 31. Vertical plate; 32. Slider; 33. Spring; 34. Bearing seat; 35. Short shaft; 36. First compression spring; 37. Stop block; 38. Wedge block; 39. Guide plate; 40. Sink; 41. Retaining ring; 42. Rectangular block; 43. Second compression spring. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0019] In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0020] Reference Figures 1-9 The continuous production equipment for high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder shown includes a shell 1, a drum 2 coaxially arranged inside the shell 1, both the shell 1 and the drum 2 are cylindrical bodies with one end closed and one end open, the axis of the shell 1 is horizontal, the opening on the drum 2 is the feed inlet 3, a ring 15 is welded to the inner wall of the closed end of the shell 1, the drum 2 is connected to the open end of the shell 1 and the ring 15 through a bearing, an inspection port is opened on the side of the shell 1 away from the discharge port 6, a cover plate 16 is fixed to the inspection port by bolts, a discharge port 6 is opened on the side wall of the shell 1, and a base 17 is fixed below the shell 1; Multiple discharge ports 4 are evenly distributed around the side wall of the drum 2 inside the shell 1. A shaftless auger 5 is coaxially provided in the inner cavity of the drum 2 between the inlet 3 and the discharge port 4. The auger 5 is welded and fixed to the inner wall of the drum 2. Multiple partitions 21 are welded radially to the inner wall of the drum 2. Each partition 21 is welded to the auger 5 on both sides. An end face gear 18 is fixed on the outer wall of the roller 2 inside the housing 1. A clearance groove is provided on the housing 1 below the end face gear 18. A motor 19 is fixed on the base 17. The output shaft of the motor 19 passes through the clearance groove and extends into the housing 1 and is fixed with a drive gear 20. The drive gear 20 is always meshed with the end face gear 18. Multiple blank cylinders 7 are provided on the outer wall of the roller 2 inside the shell 1. The blank cylinder 7 is a square column with a square through groove 22. A rectangular groove 8 is provided on the inner wall of the through groove 22, penetrating the outer wall of the blank cylinder 7. The rectangular groove 8 and the discharge port 4 have the same cross-sectional shape and size. A piston 9 and a plunger 10 are provided in the through groove 22. Both the piston 9 and the plunger 10 are square and fit against the inner wall of the through groove 22. The length of the piston 9 is greater than the length of the discharge port 4 on the axis of the roller 2. A recessed groove 39 is provided on the side of the piston 9 near the lead screw 11. A retaining ring 40 is provided at the opening of the recessed groove 39. The end of the lead screw 11 passes through the retaining ring 40 and extends into the recessed groove 39 and is fixed with a rectangular block 41. The outer contour dimension of the rectangular block 41 is greater than the inner contour dimension of the retaining ring 40. A second compression spring 42 is provided between the rectangular block 41 and the recessed groove 39, and an end face bearing is provided between the rectangular block 41 and the second compression spring 42. A lead screw 11 is coaxially connected to the piston 9. The other end of the lead screw 11 extends out of the blank cylinder 7 and is screwed with two lead screw nuts 12. The two lead screw nuts 12 are respectively connected to a forward rotation module 13 and a reverse rotation module 14. Both the forward rotation module 13 and the reverse rotation module 14 include an arc-shaped base plate 29. Two vertical plates are welded on the base plate 29. Each vertical plate has a through hole 24 and an arc-shaped sliding groove. The lead screw nut 12 is connected to the through hole 24 through a bearing. A driven gear 25 is coaxially fixed on the lead screw nut 12. A support frame 23 is also present. The other end is connected to the drive gear 26 via a bearing; the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 25 in the forward rotation module 13 are always meshed, and the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 25 in the reverse rotation module 14 are always meshed with an intermediate gear 27. Two arc-shaped racks 28 are fixed on the inner wall of the housing 1. The fan-shaped areas corresponding to the two racks 28 are not coplanar and do not overlap in the axial projection. When the drum 2 rotates, the drive gear 26 on the forward rotation module 13 and the reverse rotation module 14 meshes with the two racks 28 respectively. The slide groove is equipped with an arc-shaped slider 31. The slider 31, the slide groove and the base plate 29 are all coaxial with the roller 2. The drive gear 26 is connected to the slider 31 on both sides through bearings. A spring piece 32 is provided between the slider 31 and the slide groove. The spring piece 32 prevents the slider 31 from sliding when there is no external force. When the drive gear 26 starts to mesh with the rack 28, the slider 31 compresses the spring piece 32 and slides in the slide groove. When the slider 31 slides, the drive gear 26 is always meshed with the driven gear 25 or the intermediate gear 27. A bearing seat 33 is provided on the side of the billet cylinder 7 away from the piston 9. The bearing seat 33 is fixed to the roller 2. A short shaft 34 is coaxially provided inside the bearing seat 33. The short shaft 34 can slide axially relative to the bearing seat 33. One end of the short shaft 34 is fixed to the plunger 10. A first compression spring 35 is provided between the plunger 10 and the bearing seat 33. The other end of the short shaft 34 is located on the side of the bearing seat 33 away from the billet cylinder 7 and is fixed with a stop block 36. A wedge block 37 is fixed on the inner wall of the housing 1. One side of the wedge block 37 is connected to the piston 9. The bearing seat 33 is coplanar with the side opposite to the blank cylinder 7. The distance between the other side of the wedge block 37 and the side wall of the bearing seat 33 opposite to the blank cylinder 7 gradually increases in the rotation direction of the drum 2. When the drum 2 rotates, the stop block 36 causes the plunger 10 to compress the first compression spring 35 under the push of the wedge block 37. An inclined guide plate 38 is fixed on the discharge port 6. One end of the guide plate 38 extends between the blank cylinder 7 and the bearing seat 33 and is located in the fan-shaped projection area where the wedge block 37 is located. When the drum 2 rotates, the forward rotation module 13 and the reverse rotation module 14 alternately drive the lead screw 11 to rotate forward or reverse through the lead screw nut 12; when the lead screw 11 rotates forward, the piston 9 moves toward the plunger 10 to press the material and discharge the material from the discharge port 6; when the lead screw 11 rotates in reverse, the piston 9 moves away from the plunger 10 and the material enters the billet cylinder 7 from the discharge port 4.

[0021] Usage process: Before use, select the appropriate first compression spring 35 according to the specifications of the material and the forming pressure of the blank. The replacement method of the first compression spring 35 is as follows: first remove the cover plate 16, remove the bearing seat 33 from the roller 2, and then, according to the fixing method of the stop block 36 and the short shaft 34, such as by bolt connection or threaded connection, separate the stop block 36 and the short shaft 34, replace the first compression spring 35, and then fix the short shaft 34 and the stop block 36 on the bearing seat 33 in sequence, and fix the bearing seat 33 and the cover plate 16. At the same time, the forward rotation module 13 and the reverse rotation module 14 can also be checked. If there is jamming when rotating the roller 2, the parts that need to be replaced should be maintained. When in use, first start the motor 19. The motor 19 drives the drum 2 to rotate through the drive gear 20 and the end face gear 18. Then, the material with a fixed ratio is continuously fed into the drum 2 through the feed port 3. The mixed material gradually moves towards the discharge port 4 under the action of the auger 5. As the material moves, it is continuously lifted by the partition 21 that rotates with the drum 2. When the partition 21 tilts downward, the material falls off the partition 21 and is forcibly separated and merged by the partition 21 below, simulating the mixing action of the V-shaped mixer, improving the mixing effect of the conventional drum 2, and ensuring that the material is evenly mixed when it moves to the discharge port 4. The mixed material is moved to the discharge port 4 by the auger 5. Since the inner volume of the billet cylinder 7 is much smaller than that of the drum 2, the volume of material accumulated at the discharge port 4 is significantly larger than that of the inner volume of the billet cylinder 7. Whenever the billet cylinder 7 rotates to the bottom of the drum 2, the material will fall into the cavity of the billet cylinder 7 from the discharge port 4 and the rectangular groove 8, and overflow from the discharge port 4. Then the billet cylinder 7 continues to rotate with the drum 2. The forward rotation module 13 meshes with the rack 28 and starts to drive the screw nut 12 to rotate forward. The screw 11 drives the piston 9 to move towards the plunger 10. During this process, the screw nut 12 on the reverse rotation module 14 is driven to rotate idly. Since a second compression spring 42 and a first compression spring 35 are respectively provided between the piston 9 and the lead screw 11, and between the plunger 10 and the bearing seat 33, when the piston 9 moves towards the plunger 10 to press the material, both the first compression spring 35 and the second compression spring 42 are in a state of gradual compression. In addition, since the length of the piston 9 is greater than the length of the discharge port 4 in the direction of the axis of the roller 2, when the piston 9 closes the opening of the rectangular groove 8, the opening of the discharge port 4 is just changing from inclined upward to inclined downward. The material in the discharge port 4 and the rectangular groove 8 falls back into the inner cavity of the roller 2 under gravity. The material in the billet cylinder 7 continues to be compressed by the piston 9 and the plunger 10 under the action of the lead screw 11 until the forward rotation module 13 separates from the rack 28. At this time, the billet compression is completed. Subsequently, the billet cylinder 7 continues to rotate with the drum 2. The stop block 36 contacts the wedge block 37. The wedge block 37 causes the stop block 36 to pull the plunger 10 away from the billet cylinder 7 through the short shaft 34. The first compression spring 35 continues to be compressed. Since the second compression spring 42 between the screw 11 and the piston 9 is in a compressed state, the piston 9 also moves under the action of the second compression spring 42 until the piston 9 extends out of the billet cylinder 7. At this time, the billet rotates with the drum 2 under the clamping of the piston 9 and the plunger 10. The billet is only subjected to gravity and the friction force given by the piston 9 and the plunger 10. The drum 2 continues to rotate, and the billet contacts the guide plate 38. The guide plate 38 picks out the billet from between the piston 9 and the plunger 10. The billet leaves the housing 1 from the discharge port 6 with the guide plate 38 and is collected and stored by a special person. As the drum 2 continues to rotate, the reversing module 14 engages with the rack 28, and the screw nut 12 connected to the reversing module 14 drives the screw 11 to rotate in the opposite direction. The piston 9 moves away from the plunger 10, the stop block 36 separates from the wedge block 37, and the plunger 10 re-enters the blank cylinder 7 under the action of the first compression spring 35. Before the blank cylinder 7 rotates to directly below the drum 2, the reversing module 14 separates from the rack 28, and at this time the piston 9 has moved to the position before being pushed by the screw 11. The rectangular groove 8 is fully open, and the material re-enters the blank cylinder 7 to start the next cycle of pressing. During the above process, when the forward rotation module 13 or the reverse rotation module 14 meshes with the corresponding rack 28, if the angle of the drive gear 26 and the position of the end of the rack 28 cannot mesh smoothly, the drive gear 26 will push the slider 31 to slide in the opposite direction of the rotation of the roller 2 after contacting the rack 28. The spring 32 will be compressed, and then the angle of the drive gear 26 will be adaptively adjusted to achieve meshing, avoiding or reducing the occurrence of tooth breakage, reducing the maintenance frequency of the device and reducing operating noise. After the forward rotation module 13 or the reverse rotation module 14 separates from the rack 28, the spring 32 will push the slider 31 to reset, so that it can make way again when meshing with the rack 28 next time. Since the sliding distance of the slider 31 is less than the radius difference between the tooth tip circle and the pitch circle of the drive gear 26, the drive gear 26 always meshes with the intermediate gear 27 or the driven gear 25 during the sliding process.

[0022] During assembly, the lengths of the racks 28 corresponding to the forward rotation module 13 and the reverse rotation module 14 can be selected. With the lead screw 11 pitch unchanged, the longer the rack 28 corresponding to the forward rotation module 13, the greater the distance the piston 9 moves, and the greater the compression ratio of the material; or with the piston 9 moving a constant distance, the longer the rack 28 corresponding to the forward rotation module 13, the smaller the selectable lead screw 11 pitch, allowing the piston 9 to provide greater pressure. If the length of the rack 28 corresponding to the reversing module 14 is less than the length of the rack 28 corresponding to the forward rotating module 13, the intermediate gear 27 in the reversing module 14 can be replaced with two coaxial gears, and the two coaxial gears have different numbers of teeth. The small gear meshes with the driving gear 26, and the large gear meshes with the driven gear 25, thereby achieving the same rotation angle of the roller 2. The number of rotations of the lead screw nut 12 in the reversing module 14 is greater than the number of rotations of the lead screw nut 12 in the forward rotating module 13, ensuring that the piston 9 can move in the opposite direction to the initial position when the lead screw 11 reverses.

[0023] Secondly, if a pressure-holding operation is required after the forward rotation module 13 separates from the rack 28, an angular gap is left between the rack 28 corresponding to the forward rotation module 13 and the wedge block 37 in the rotation direction of the roller 2. The self-locking feature of the lead screw 11 and the lead screw nut 12 keeps the piston 9 and the plunger 10 stationary, thereby achieving the pressure-holding effect and improving the strength of the blank.

Claims

1. A continuous production line for high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder, characterized in that, Includes a housing (1), which is cylindrical and horizontally arranged. A roller (2) is coaxially arranged inside the housing (1). The roller (2) can rotate relative to the housing (1). One end of the roller (2) extends out of the housing (1) and is provided with a feed inlet (3). Multiple discharge ports (4) are evenly distributed on the side wall of the roller (2) inside the housing (1). An auger (5) is coaxially arranged in the inner cavity of the roller (2) between the feed inlet (3) and the discharge port (4). The shell (1) has a material discharge port (6) on its side wall. The outer wall of the roller (2) inside the shell (1) is provided with multiple billet cylinders (7). The billet cylinders (7) have rectangular grooves (8) on them. The billet cylinders (7) are connected to the inner cavity of the roller (2) through the rectangular grooves (8) and the discharge port (4). The billet cylinders (7) are provided with pistons (9) and plungers (10). A lead screw (11) is coaxially connected to the piston (9). The other end of the lead screw (11) extends out of the billet cylinder (7) and is screwed with two lead screw nuts (12). The mother (12) is connected to the forward rotation module (13) and the reverse rotation module (14) respectively. When the drum (2) rotates, the forward rotation module (13) and the reverse rotation module (14) drive the screw (11) to rotate forward or reverse through the screw nut (12). When the screw (11) rotates forward, the piston (9) moves towards the plunger (10) to press the material and discharge the material from the discharge port (6). When the screw (11) rotates in reverse, the piston (9) moves away from the plunger (10) and the material enters the billet cylinder (7) from the discharge port (4).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell (1) and the roller (2) are both cylindrical bodies that are closed at one end and open at the other end. The opening on the roller (2) is the feed port (3). A ring (15) is welded to the inner wall of the closed end of the shell (1). The roller (2) is connected to the open end of the shell (1) and the ring through a bearing. An inspection port is opened on the side of the shell (1) away from the discharge port (6). A cover plate (16) is fixed to the inspection port by bolts. A base (17) is fixed below the shell (1).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An end face gear (18) is fixed on the outer wall of the roller (2) inside the housing (1). A clearance groove is provided on the housing (1) below the end face gear (18). A motor (19) is fixed on the base (17). The output shaft of the motor (19) passes through the clearance groove and extends into the housing (1) and is fixed with a drive gear (20). The drive gear (20) always meshes with the end face gear (18).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The auger (5) is a shaftless auger. The auger (5) is welded and fixed to the inner wall of the drum (2). Multiple partitions (21) are welded radially to the inner wall of the drum (2). Each partition (21) is welded to the auger (5) on both sides.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The billet cylinder (7) is a square column with a square through groove (22) on it. The piston (9) and plunger (10) are both square and fit against the inner wall of the through groove (22). The rectangular groove (8) penetrates the inner wall of the through groove (22) and the outer wall of the billet cylinder (7). The rectangular groove (8) and the discharge port (4) have the same cross-sectional shape and size.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the forward rotation module (13) and the reverse rotation module (14) include a support frame (23). One end of the support frame (23) has a through hole (24). The lead screw nut (12) is connected to the through hole (24) through a bearing. A driven gear (25) is coaxially fixed on the lead screw nut (12). The other end of the support frame (23) is connected to the driving gear (26) through a bearing. The driving gear (26) and the driven gear (25) in the forward rotation module (13) are always meshed. An intermediate gear (27) is always meshed between the driving gear (26) and the driven gear (25) in the reverse rotation module (14). Two arc-shaped racks (28) are fixed on the inner wall of the housing (1). The fan-shaped areas corresponding to the two racks (28) are not coplanar and do not overlap in the axial projection. When the drum (2) rotates, the driving gear (26) on the forward rotation module (13) and the reverse rotation module (14) mesh with the two racks (28) respectively.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support frame (23) includes an arc-shaped base plate (29), on which two vertical plates are welded. The through hole (24) is located on the vertical plate. Each vertical plate has an arc-shaped sliding groove. An arc-shaped slider (31) is provided in the sliding groove. The slider (31), the sliding groove and the base plate (29) are all coaxial with the roller (2). The driving gear (26) is connected to the slider (31) on both sides through bearings. A spring piece (32) is provided between the slider (31) and the sliding groove. The spring piece (32) prevents the slider (31) from sliding without external force. When the driving gear (26) starts to mesh with the rack (28), the slider (31) compresses the spring piece (32) and slides in the sliding groove. When the slider (31) slides, the driving gear (26) is always meshed with the driven gear (25) or the intermediate gear (27).

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blank cylinder (7) is provided with a bearing seat (33) on the side away from the piston (9). The bearing seat (33) is fixed to the roller (2). A short shaft (34) is coaxially provided inside the bearing seat (33). The short shaft (34) can slide axially relative to the bearing seat (33). One end of the short shaft (34) is fixed to the plunger (10). A first compression spring (35) is provided between the plunger (10) and the bearing seat (33). The other end of the short shaft (34) is located on the side of the bearing seat (33) away from the blank cylinder (7) and is fixed with a stop block (36). A wedge block (37) is fixed on the inner wall of the shell (1). 7) One side of the bearing seat (33) is coplanar with the side of the billet cylinder (7) away from the bearing seat (33). The distance between the other side of the wedge block (37) and the side wall of the bearing seat (33) away from the billet cylinder (7) gradually increases in the direction of rotation of the drum (2). When the stop block (36) rotates with the drum (2), it causes the plunger (10) to compress the first compression spring (35) under the push of the wedge block (37). The discharge port (6) is fixed with an inclined guide plate (38). One end of the guide plate (38) extends between the billet cylinder (7) and the bearing seat (33) and is located in the fan-shaped projection area where the wedge block (37) is located.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the piston (9) is greater than the length of the discharge port (4) on the axis of the roller (2); a groove (39) is opened on the side of the piston (9) near the lead screw (11), and a retaining ring (40) is provided at the opening of the groove (39). The end of the lead screw (11) passes through the retaining ring (40) and extends into the groove (39) and is fixed with a rectangular block (41). The outer contour dimension of the rectangular block (41) is greater than the inner contour dimension of the retaining ring (40). A second compression spring (42) is provided between the rectangular block (41) and the groove (39), and an end face bearing is provided between the rectangular block (41) and the second compression spring (42).

10. The continuous production process of the high-purity, low-oxygen niobium powder according to any one of claims 1-9 is as follows: S(1): Remove the cover plate (16), remove the bearing housing (33) through the inspection port, and install the first compression spring (35) of the appropriate specification. S(2): Check whether the forward rotation module (13) and reverse rotation module (14) are stuck when rotating, replace the parts that need maintenance, and then reinstall the cover plate (16). S(3): Start the power supply of the motor (19) and continuously feed the material into the feed inlet (3) in proportion. S(4): Arrange for a designated person to collect and store the materials that slip off the guide plate (38); S(5): After stopping feeding, keep the motor (19) running until no blanks slip off the guide plate (38) or the slipped blanks are obviously loose. Then turn off the motor (19) and clean the inner cavity of the roller (2).

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