Method to simultaneously pulverize and vaporize metals into particles of varied size distribution.

摘要

The metal to be pulverized is subjected to an electric arc in a closed vessel containing a gas which is dissociated by the arc. The metal melts at least partially and the gas dissolves into the molten metal where it reassociates and, due to the binding energy, causes the metal to evaporate. Simultaneously, some portions of molten metal migrate by convection to cooler zones whereby oversaturation by the gas occurs which results into bubble formation. The bubbles burst and metal particles are spattered away, the rates of both evaporation and spattering depending on the temperature differences of the hotter and lesser hot zones. Pulverization is periodically interrupted to periodically disturb thermal and dynamic operative conditions which evolve to equilibrium.