Production of powder, strip and other metal products from refined molten metal

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING MOLETEN IRON OR STEEL TO SUBSTANTIALLY FINISHED METAL FORMS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (A) REFINING THE MOLTEN IRON OR STEEL TO A PRESELECTED ANALYSIS RANGE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DESIRED SUBSTANTIALLY FINISHED METAL FORM INCLUDING A LOW CARBON CONTENT OF LESS THAN 0.18 PERCENT, (B) CONTROLLABLY DISCHARGING THE REFINED MOLTEN METAL IN A STREAM, DIRECTLY FROM THE REFINING STAGE, INTO A PREDETERMINED ATOMIZING CHAMBER, (C) DIRECTING HIGH VELOCITY STREAMS OF COOLING MEDIUM UPON THE MOLTEN METAL DISCHARGED INTO THE ATOMIZING CHAMBER TO QUENCH THE MOLTEN METAL AND DISPERSE IT AS SOLID POWDER PARTICLES, (D) THE HIGH VELOCITY STREAMS OF COOLING MEDIUM BEING SO RELATED TO THE DISCHARGED STREAMS OF MOLTEN METAL IN DIRECTION, NUMBER, VOLUME, AND VELOCITY AS TO CAUSE SAID METAL TO BE DISINTEGRATED INTO FINELY DIVIDED POWDER PARTICLES OF SUBSTANTIALLY IRREGULAR FORM, (E) REDUCING THE WATER CONTENT OF THE QUENCHED POWDER, (F) CONTROLLABLY FEEDING THE POWDER PARTICLES AT A PREDETERMINED RATE AND DISTRIBUTION TO A FIRST COMPACTING STAGE, (G) COMPRESSING THE POWDER TO FORM A CONTINUOUS AND COHERENT LENGTH OF POROUS METAL, (H) HEATING THE LENGTH OF METAL TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1600*F. TO 2200*F. AND COMPRESSING THE HEATED LENGTH OF METAL TO A SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY DENSIFIED CONDITION, AND (I) MAINTAINING SAID METAL IN A CONTROLLED AMBIENT SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE FORMATION OF POWDER PARTICLES UNTIL AFTER THE COMPRESSING OF THE HEATED LENGTH OF METAL IN ORDER TO PREVENT DETERIMENTAL OXIDATION OF THE POWDER AND STRIP.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONVERTING MOLETEN IRON OR STEEL TO SUBSTANTIALLY FINISHED METAL FORMS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (A) REFINING THE MOLTEN IRON OR STEEL TO A PRESELECTED ANALYSIS RANGE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DESIRED SUBSTANTIALLY FINISHED METAL FORM INCLUDING A LOW CARBON CONTENT OF LESS THAN 0.18 PERCENT, (B) CONTROLLABLY DISCHARGING THE REFINED MOLTEN METAL IN A STREAM, DIRECTLY FROM THE REFINING STAGE, INTO A PREDETERMINED ATOMIZING CHAMBER, (C) DIRECTING HIGH VELOCITY STREAMS OF COOLING MEDIUM UPON THE MOLTEN METAL DISCHARGED INTO THE ATOMIZING CHAMBER TO QUENCH THE MOLTEN METAL AND DISPERSE IT AS SOLID POWDER PARTICLES, (D) THE HIGH VELOCITY STREAMS OF COOLING MEDIUM BEING SO RELATED TO THE DISCHARGED STREAMS OF MOLTEN METAL IN DIRECTION, NUMBER, VOLUME, AND VELOCITY AS TO CAUSE SAID METAL TO BE DISINTEGRATED INTO FINELY DIVIDED POWDER PARTICLES OF SUBSTANTIALLY IRREGULAR FORM, (E) REDUCING THE WATER CONTENT OF THE QUENCHED POWDER, (F) CONTROLLABLY FEEDING THE POWDER PARTICLES AT A PREDETERMINED RATE AND DISTRIBUTION TO A FIRST COMPACTING STAGE, (G) COMPRESSING THE POWDER TO FORM A CONTINUOUS AND COHERENT LENGTH OF POROUS METAL, (H) HEATING THE LENGTH OF METAL TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1600*F. TO 2200*F. AND COMPRESSING THE HEATED LENGTH OF METAL TO A SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY DENSIFIED CONDITION, AND (I) MAINTAINING SAID METAL IN A CONTROLLED AMBIENT SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY FROM THE FORMATION OF POWDER PARTICLES UNTIL AFTER THE COMPRESSING OF THE HEATED LENGTH OF METAL IN ORDER TO PREVENT DETERIMENTAL OXIDATION OF THE POWDER AND STRIP.