Production of substantially spherical metal powders

摘要

A method for producing a substantially spherical metal powder is described. A particulate source metal includes a primary particulate and has an average starting particle size. The particulate source metal is optionally ball milled and mixed with a binder in a solvent to form a slurry. The slurry is granulated to form substantially spherical granules, wherein each granule comprises an agglomeration of particulate source metal in the binder. The granules are debinded at a debinding temperature to remove the binder from the granules forming debinded granules. The debinded granules are at least partially sintered at a sintering temperature such that particles within each granule fuse together to form partially or fully sintered solid granules. The granules can then be optionally recovered to form a substantially spherical metal powder.

主权项

1. A method for producing a substantially spherical metal powder comprising:
providing a particulate source metal including a primary particulate and having an average starting particle size, wherein the particulate source metal comprises titanium, titanium hydride, Al—V master alloy, titanium oxide, or mixtures thereof; mixing the particulate source metal with a binder and an optional solvent to form a slurry; granulating the slurry to form substantially spherical granules, wherein each granule comprises an agglomeration of particulate source metal; debinding the granules at a debinding temperature to reduce a binder content of the granules forming debinded granules; at least partially sintering the debinded granules at a sintering temperature such that particles within each granule fuse together to form partially or fully sintered granules; and recovering the sintered granules to form the substantially spherical metal powder.