Modeling of RTFT water atomization steel powder production process

RTFT水雾化钢粉生产过程建模

• 批准号: 498633-2016
• 负责人: Chattopadhyay, Kinnor
• 金额: $ 2.6万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=618408
• 关键词: Modeling; RTFT; water; atomization; steel

The production of metal powders by water atomization is a well established process, which can be used to produce a wide range of particle sizes. A careful control of the particle size distribution is necessary, to atomize powders with a high quality and at a low production cost. Rio Tinto is one of the major suppliers of high-quality iron, steel and specialty metal powders. Ilmenite ore from RTFT's Canadian mines is transformed into advanced products at their metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, Canada. The proposed CRD research program will identify solution strategies enabling the increase of saleable product yield, which is currently impacted by up to 8% of oversize product fraction (particles larger than 210 microns). Reducing this fraction by 50% would result in approx. $0.8 million annual production cost savings.The possibility of producing particles with more controlled morphology is expected to enable the development of new metal powder grades, including potentially those suitable for the emerging additive manufacturing industry. The project will encompass the development of a computational fluid dynamics model covering all aspects related to molten metal flow, nozzles and atomization vessel geometry, interaction between the high-pressure water jets and the molten metal stream, and metal particles formation. The study will establish a basis for improvements that benefits not only the Canadian but also the global powder metal industry in terms of product cleanliness, quality and particle size control. Several highly qualified personnel (HQP) will be trained in the course of the project in the area of metal powder production, who will eventually enter the powder manufacturing industry or academia in Canada

通过水雾化生产金属粉末是一种成熟的工艺，可用于生产各种粒度的粉末。为了以较低的生产成本雾化高质量的粉末，必须仔细控制粒度分布。力拓是高品质钢铁和特种金属粉末的主要供应商之一。来自 RTFT 加拿大矿山的钛铁矿石在其位于加拿大魁北克省索雷尔特雷西的冶金联合体中转化为先进产品。拟议的 CRD 研究计划将确定能够提高可销售产品产量的解决方案策略，目前该产品产量受到高达 8% 的超大产品部分（大于 210 微米的颗粒）的影响。将这个比例减少 50% 将导致大约。每年节省 80 万美元的生产成本。生产形态更受控制的颗粒的可能性预计将有助于开发新的金属粉末等级，包括可能适合新兴增材制造行业的粉末等级。该项目将包括开发计算流体动力学模型，涵盖与熔融金属流、喷嘴和雾化容器几何形状、高压水射流和熔融金属流之间的相互作用以及金属颗粒形成相关的所有方面。该研究将为产品清洁度、质量和粒度控制方面的改进奠定基础，不仅有利于加拿大，而且有利于全球粉末金属行业。项目期间将培训数名金属粉末生产领域的高素质人才（HQP），他们最终将进入加拿大的粉末制造行业或学术界