Apparatus for producing low oxide metal powders

Claim 2

An apparatus according to claim 2, further characterized by a. said atomizing water streams being of flat, thin, solid configuration and being issued at a pressure of about 500 psi or greater; and b. said quenching water streams being issued at a pressure of about 100 psi or greater.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by a. means for introducing gas at a controlled flow rate into said atomizing chamber to control the water level in said water leg.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by a. the lower end of said housing including a nozzle-like discharge portion of reduced cross-section, as compared to the cross-section of the atomizing chamber, for the discharge of water from said water leg into said body of cooling water at relatively high velocity; b. said nozzle-like discharge portion being disposed at a large angle to the vertical to promote a horizontal flow, away from said discharge portion, of discharged water and entrained atomized particles.

Claim 5

Apparatus for atomizing molten metal to a powder having irregular, angular particles predominantly of minus 40 to plus 325 mesh and containing less than 0.25 percent oxygen by weight, comprising a. an atomizer housing forming an enclosed chamber; b. a receiving vessel containing a body of cooling liquid; c. a water leg extending from said housing to said vessel, with the upper portion of the walls of said leg forming a continuation of the walls of said atomizer housing and the lower end of said leg having a restricted outlet immersed in and sealed by said body of cooling liquid; d. means for introducing a molten metal stream into the upper portion of said enclosed chamber; e. first means for directing high velocity streams of cooling liquid at said molten metal stream closely adjacent the upper portion of said water leg in said enclosed chamber for the atomization of said molten metal stream into particles; f. second means for directing high velocity streams of cooling liquid at said atomized molten metal stream closely adjacent the upper portion of said water leg for maintaining said atomized particles in contact with cooling liquid under conditions of violent turbulence; g. said first and second means being positioned for impingement downwardly into said water leg for substantially continuously maintaining violent turbulent contact, and h. said water leg providing a continuously substantially unimpeded passage for the injection of cooling liquid and atomized particles from the upper portion through the outlet thereof.

Claim 6

Apparatus as recited in claim 6, further characterized by said first means to direct high velocity streams including a. a pair of nozzles disposed to issue atomizing cooling liquid streams in intercepting relation to each other and to the stream of molten metal, and b. said atomizing cooling liquid streams being of flat, thin, solid configuration and being issued at a pressure of at least 500 pounds per square inch at an angle within the range of between about 15*-30* from the axis of said streams of molten metal.

Claim 7

Apparatus as recited in claim 6, further characterized by said second means for directing high velocity streams of cooling liquid including a. at least two pairs of spaced apart nozzles, with each pair being disposed to issue cooling liquid streams to intersect with each other directly below and closely adjacent to the interception of said metal By said atomizing cooling liquid streams, and b. said pairs of spaced apart intersecting cooling liquid streams being issued at an angle within the range of between about 15*-30* from the axis of said stream of atomized metal particles.

Claim 8

Apparatus as recited in claim 6, further characterized by a. means for introducing inert gas at a controlled flow rate into said atomizer housing for maintaining a non-explosive atmosphere therein and for partially controlling the cooling liquid level in said water leg.

Claim 9

Apparatus as recited in claim 6, further characterized by a. the lower end of said water leg including a nozzle-like discharge portion of reduced cross section, as compared to the cross section of the upper portion of said leg.

Claim 10

Apparatus as recited in claim 6, further characterized by said first and second means to direct high velocity streams including a. means to direct combined cooling liquid streams under sufficient pressure to maintain high velocity flow of cooling liquid and atomized particles over the entire transverse extent of the outlet of said water leg.

Claim 11

Apparatus as recited in claim 10, further characterized by said first and second means to direct high velocity streams including a. means to direct combined cooling liquid streams under sufficient pressure to maintain high velocity flow of cooling liquid and atomized particles over the entire transverse extent of the outlet of said water leg.

Claim 12

Apparatus for atomizing molten metal to a powder having irregular, angular particles predominantly of minus 40 to plus 325 mesh and containing less than 0.25 percent oxygen by weight, comprising a. a sealed chamber; b. a receiving vessel containing a body of cooling liquid; c. means providing flow communication between said chamber and said body of cooling liquid; d. means for introducing a molten metal stream into said sealed chamber; e. means for intercepting said molten metal stream sequentially with a plurality of opposed cooling liquid streams for atomizing said molten metal stream and for cooling the individual particles of said atomized molten metal stream; f. said interposing means being arranged to direct said plurality of opposed cooling liquid streams into and through said flow communication means, and g. means for controlling said intercepting means to provide high velocity unimpeded flow across the entire cross section of said flow communication means from said chamber to said body of cooling liquid.

Claim 13

Apparatus as recited in claim 13, further characterized by a. said flow communication means being a water leg of gradually reduced cross section from said chamber to said body of cooling liquid.

Claim 14

Apparatus as recited in claim 14, further characterized by a. said intercepting means being a plurality of pairs of nozzles disposed to issue cooling liquid streams in intercepting relation to each other and to the stream of molten metal, and b. said cooling liquid streams being of flat, thin, solid configuration and issued at an angle of between about 15-30 degrees from the axis of said stream of molten metal.

Claim 15

Apparatus as recited in claim 13, further characterized by a. means for introducing inert gas at a controlled flow rate into said sealed chamber for preventing cooling liquid flow from said body of cooling liquid into said flow communication means.