METHOD FOR SPHEROIDIZATION OF METAL MICRO-POWDERS BY MICROWAVE RADIATION Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC B22F1/65 B22F1/142 B22F9/14 

FIELD: powder metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to powder metallurgy, in particular to methods for processing metal powder for its further use in additive technologies. A metal micro-powder of a fraction of 10-40 mcm is fed into the zone of a millimeter wavelength range of discharge supported by continuous microwave radiation in a plasma-forming gas stream at atmospheric pressure. The microwave radiation is focused inside a metal electrodynamic structure having the shape of a side surface of a truncated straight circular cone with holes as bases, localizing the plasma-forming gas flow and a quasi-optical Gaussian beam of focused microwave radiation in the zone of a discharge supported by microwave radiation and having a common axis of symmetry with them, so that a smaller hole of the metal electrodynamic structure is located in the area of the quasi-optical Gaussian beam waist of focused microwave radiation.

EFFECT: invention provides an increase in the energy efficiency of the spheroidization process and a reduction in the consumption of plasma-forming gas.

1 cl, 1 dwg