Multi-Component Spherical Alloy Powder via PREP
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Solution Overview
Problem
Preparing spherical powder from refractory metals or their compounds is challenging due to their high melting points and hardness, making it difficult to use the plasma rotation electrode process (PREP) method effectively for single components.
Innovation Solution
A multi-component base material is prefabricated to prepare a multi-component spherical alloy powder using the PREP method, involving methods like spatial structure meshing, direct element mixing, and porous framework techniques to create a cylindrical alloy rod suitable for the PREP process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the PREP method is used to prepare spherical powder from single refractory metal or compound, then the spherical powder has high sphericity and excellent performance, but it is difficult to smelt and make a rod due to high melting point and high hardness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by prefabricating a multi-component base material rod before applying the PREP method. The rod is prepared in advance by melting a multi-component alloy containing the refractory metal or compound, casting it into a rod shape, and then using this pre-formed rod as the electrode material for the PREP process. This preliminary preparation of the base material rod solves the problem of difficulty in directly smelting and making rods from single refractory metals or compounds with high melting points and hardness.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional physical and chemical methods are used to prepare refractory metal powder, then the process is simpler, but it is difficult to obtain spherical powder with high sphericity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by creating a multi-component alloy base material that contains the refractory metal or compound dispersed within a matrix of other metals or compounds with lower melting points. This composite structure allows the refractory component to be incorporated into a rod form through melting and casting of the multi-component alloy, which is then used in the PREP process to produce spherical powder with high sphericity (up to 95%). The composite base material enables the PREP method to be applied to refractory metals that would otherwise be difficult to process.
3Manufacturing precision
If a multi-component base material is prefabricated to enable PREP method, then spherical powder with high sphericity can be obtained, but the preparation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the compositional parameters of the base material from a single refractory metal or compound to a multi-component alloy system. By adjusting the composition to include metals or compounds with lower melting points, the base material becomes suitable for melting and casting into rods. This parameter change in composition enables the subsequent PREP process to produce spherical powder with high sphericity, while the multi-component nature of the alloy facilitates easier processing compared to pure refractory metals.
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
The method achieves high sphericity, low impurity content, and excellent performance of the spherical alloy powder, suitable for powder metallurgy and 3D printing, overcoming the difficulty in preparing refractory metal rods and enhancing the powder's fluidity and tap density.
Implementation Method 1
the base material is heated and melted by an ultra-high temperature plasma gun
Implementation Method 2
the base material is heated and melted by an ultra-high temperature plasma gun
Implementation Method 3
the molten liquid is centrifugally atomized into spherical powder
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a preparation process of multi-component spherical alloy powder, which adopts a plasma rotation electrode process (PREP) method to prepare the multi-component spherical alloy powder. The multi-component alloy includes at least one of refractory metals and compounds thereof, specifically including tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, rhenium, tungsten carbide, tantalum carbide and the like.The present invention adopts the PREP method to prepare the multi-component spherical alloy powder containing the refractory metals or compound thereof, and the prepared multi-component spherical alloy powder has high sphericity, good fluidity and high tap density, and is low in content of impurity elements and output of hollow powder and satellite powder; compared with other preparation methods, the prepared alloy powder has better performance and is an ideal material for metal 3D printing; and the present invention further solves the problem of difficulty in preparing a round rod with the refractory metals or compound thereof as a base material used in the PREP method, and provides a spatial structure meshing method, a direct element mixing method or a porous framework method to prepare a multi-component alloy rod.