Method of producing spherical powder by eccentric electrode rotation

Abstract

Abstract A METHOD FOR PRODUCING GENERALLY SPHERICAL PARTICLES FROM MATERIALS, E.G., METALS, INITIALLY IN ROD FORM. THE PREFERRED METHOD COMPRISES FEEDING A CONSUMABLE ROD FROM WHICH THE PARTICLES ARE TO BE FORMED INTO A HEATING ZONE WHILE ORBITING THE LEADING END OF THE ROD ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND, SIMULTANEOUSLY, ROTATING THE ROD ABOUT THE SAME AXIS. THE LEADING OF THE ROD IS HEATED TO CAUSE MELTING OF THE ROD MATERIAL. DUE TO THE SPINNING OF THE ROD AND THE MELTED FORM OF THE ROD MATERIAL, LIQUID DROPLETS ARE FORMED AROUND, AND SPUN OFF FROM, THE PERIPHERY OF THE HEATED END OF THE ROD. THE DROPLETS ARE ALLOWED TO COOL BELOW THEIR MELTING TEMPERATURE BEFORE CONTACTING ANY SURFACES TO PRESSURE THEIR SHAPE AND ARE THEREAFTER COLLECTED AS SOLID, GENERALLY-SPHERICAL PARTICLES. THE METHOD IS PERFERABLY CARRIED OUT IN APPARATUS COMPRISING A CHAMBER WITH WALL OPENINGS TO RECEIVE ONE END OF A ROTATABLE SHAFT AND A CONVENTIONAL ELECTRODE IN OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP. THE SHAFT HAS A BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH WHICH IS ANGLED WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHAFT AND WHICH IS SIZED TO SLIDABLY RECEIVE A CONSUMABLE ROD WHICH, IN TURN, FORMS A CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE. POWER SOURCES ARE PROVIDED (A) TO ROTATE THE SHAFT ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS TO PRODUCE ORBITING OF THE CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE, (B) TO ROTATE THE LATTER ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS, AND (C) TO FEED THE CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE THROUGH THE SHAFT AND INTO THE CHAMBER. AN ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE SUFFICIENT TO ESTABLISH AN ARC BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES WITHIN THE CHAMBER TO HEAT AND MELT THE CONSUMABLE ELECTRODE IS PROVIDED. THE CHAMBER MAY BE EVACUATED AND THEN FILLED WITH AN INERT GAS TO PROVIDE A NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE AND IS PROVIDED WITH SEALS NECESSARY FOR THIS PURPOSE.

Inventors

• 👤 A Kaufmann

Bibliographic Details