Process for manufacturing metal powders

摘要

A process of producing metal powders by feeding a metal oxide and a reducing agent into a rotary reactor to form a mechanical fluid bed. The fluid bed is rotated with a rotation speed of about 100 rpm. The fluid bed is then heated to a reaction temperature of up to 1200° C. The pressure is then set within the rotary reactor to a pressure in a range of 0.001 bars to 2.0 bars, as a result reducing the reaction temperature to a temperature in a range of 600° C. to 1200° C. Finally, the pressure and the rotation are maintained, wherein a high value metal powder is formed without the requirement for post-grinding process steps. A product resulting from specific settings of the process include a high value molybdenum powder capable of being used as a chemical catalyst and other specialty applications specific to the metal, eliminating costly production methods.

主权项

1. A process of producing a metal powder, comprising the steps of:
feeding a metal oxide and a reducing agent into a rotary reactor to form a mechanical fluid bed; rotating said mechanical fluid bed with a rotation speed of about 100 rpm; heating said mechanical fluid bed to a reaction temperature of up to 1200° C.; setting pressure within said rotary reactor to a pressure in a range of 0.001 bars to 2.0 bars, as a result reducing said reaction temperature to a temperature in a range of 600° C. to 1200° C.; and, maintaining said pressure and said rotation to form said metal powder.