Due to the development of additive manufacturing processes, the metal powder industry has grown significantly in recent years. To achieve the physical properties of powder material that meet strict metallurgical requirements for further processing, especially for the additive manufacturing industry, high-quality speciality gases become indispensable in many ways.
Atomisation: The number one metal powder production method
There are many methods to produce metal powders from valuable metals and alloys such as titanium, aluminium, stainless steel, iron, copper, nickel-base alloys and cobalt-base alloys. Atomisation is generally viewed as the best way due to the geometrical properties of the powder particles that can be achieved, making it ideal for usage in additive manufacturing.
Making quality metal powder
In the atomisation process the melted metal alloys are first refined and degassed, then poured into a gas nozzle, where the liquid material is disintegrated into metal powder by a high-pressure gas stream. Gases such as argon, nitrogen and helium are necessary to prevent excessive oxidation. BOC’s high-pressure gas supply schemes and technologies are used to atomise high-alloy metals to powder particles spherical in size and uniform density.
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Find out how BOC's ADDvance® Powder Cabinet can help maintain your powder quality.
ADDvance Powder Cabinet