Aluminum Alloy Powder Separation via Matrix Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preparing aluminum-containing alloy powders face challenges such as low production efficiency, high energy consumption, difficulty in grading powders, and high impurity content, particularly oxygen, which affect their performance and increase production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of an initial alloy melt with specific ingredient ratios, followed by solidification into an alloy ribbon with a matrix and dispersed particle phases, and subsequent reaction with an acid solution to separate and purify the dispersed particle phase, resulting in an aluminum-containing alloy powder with controlled impurity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the liquid phase method is used to prepare alloy powder, then the powder can be obtained with certain composition control, but the production efficiency is low and the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the liquid phase method (thermal/chemical process) with a solid state mechanical alloying method. The alloy powder is prepared by mechanically mixing and compacting solid metal powders in a vacuum environment, eliminating the need for melting and liquid processing, thereby improving production efficiency while maintaining composition control through precise powder mixing ratios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from liquid to solid throughout the entire process. By using solid state mechanical alloying instead of liquid phase casting, the process avoids the complexity of temperature control, melting, and solidification,ไป่ simplifying the process while maintaining composition precision through controlled powder mixing
2Device complexity
If the mechanical method is used to prepare alloy powder, then the process is simple, but the powder purity, fineness and morphology cannot be guaranteed and grading is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vacuum environment as an inert atmosphere during the mechanical alloying process. By conducting the powder mixing and compacting in a vacuum, oxidation and contamination from atmospheric gases are prevented, ensuring high powder purity. The vacuum environment also facilitates better powder density and more uniform composition throughout the alloying process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs continuous vacuum treatment throughout the entire mechanical alloying process. The vacuum environment is maintained continuously during powder mixing, compacting, and sintering stages, ensuring consistent purity and preventing contamination at any stage. This continuous vacuum atmosphere ensures uniform powder morphology and fine particle size distribution
3Manufacturing precision
If the rotary electrode method or gas atomization method is used to prepare high performance alloy powder, then the powder quality is improved, but the production efficiency decreases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive thermal processes (rotary electrode heating, gas atomization) with a mechanical process. The alloying is achieved through mechanical mixing and compacting of powder particles in a vacuum, eliminating the need for high-temperature heating and complex thermal fields, thereby dramatically reducing energy consumption while maintaining high powder quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable powder compacting dies and molds that can be easily replaced. Instead of investing in expensive, complex rotary electrodes or gas atomization equipment, the process uses simple, inexpensive vacuum compacting tools that achieve the same alloying effect with much lower energy input and equipment cost
4Productivity
If the jet mill method or hydrogenation and dehydrogenation method is used for industrialized production, then large batch production is achieved, but the selectivity for primary metal and alloy is high and impurity content control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vacuum environment as an inert atmosphere throughout the entire production process. By maintaining vacuum conditions during powder mixing, compacting, and sintering, the method prevents oxidation and contamination from atmospheric gases, achieving both large batch production capability and precise impurity control. The vacuum environment ensures consistent low impurity content even at industrial production scales
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the production of high-purity aluminum-containing alloy powders with monocrystalline particles in various sizes, from nano to millimeter levels, while reducing production costs and ensuring uniform particle size and morphology, suitable for applications in photo-electronic devices, wave absorbing materials, catalysts, 3D metal printing, and coatings.
Implementation Method 1
solidifying the initial alloy melt into an initial alloy ribbon; wherein a solidification structure of the initial alloy ribbon includes a matrix phase and a dispersed particle phase
Implementation Method 2
reacting the initial alloy ribbon with an acid solution, wherein the matrix phase in the initial alloy ribbon reacts with an acid to change into an ion entering the solution and the dispersed particle phase not reacting with the acid solution is separated out
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a method of preparing an aluminum-containing alloy powder and an application thereof. The preparation method includes: by using the characteristic that a solidification structure of an initial alloy includes a matrix phase and a dispersed particle phase, the matrix phase is removed by reaction with an acid solution, so as to separate out the dispersed particle phase and obtain an aluminum-containing alloy powder. The preparation method is simple in process and can prepare different morphologies of aluminum-containing alloy powders of nano-level, sub-micron-level, micron-level and millimeter-level, which can be applied to the fields such as photo-electronic devices, wave absorbing materials, catalysts, 3D metal printing, metal injection molding and corrosion-resistant coating.