SBIR Phase I: Magnetohydrodynamic Formation of Metal Monospheres

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目测试了一种新型的具有成本效益的单分散球形微米级金属粉末制造工艺的可行性。尽管目前存在各种制备均匀尺寸颗粒的方法，但它们要么不适合于高熔点材料，要么在低于100 μ m的尺寸下不完善，要么速度慢或非常昂贵。 商业球形气体雾化粉末是可用的，但具有宽的尺寸分布。 我们建议演示液态金属加压和扰动的流动通过一个包含多个高速滴形成喷嘴的板通过磁流体动力学（MHD）。 目的是提供一种适用于高温（= 200 ℃）下的系统，允许连续进料（相对于分批加工），没有移动部件，没有液态金属的高压储存器和高生产率。 研究内容包括磁流体增压和扰动设备以及喷嘴板的分析、设计、建造和试验。 第一阶段的目标是使用MHD和多喷嘴阵列生产低熔点金属的均匀液滴。 在第二阶段，该工艺将被扩展到在一个完整的台式系统中生产钴和铁的“单球体”，以适应高温和增加的吞吐量。 该技术提供了一种以商品价格生产大量理想的单球体的方法。通过本文创新的工艺制造的粉末的主要客户是粉末金属零件生产商，最初是通过金属注射成型和热等静压。通过用作涂层的均匀基底，均匀颗粒将提高以具有成本竞争力的方式生产一致的合金化和致密部件的能力。 在许多其他市场中，有过滤器、催化剂、新型磁流变液和生物医学用途。最初的市场超过1500万美元，十年后的潜在市场超过1亿美元。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project tests feasibility of a novel cost-efficient process for manufacture of monodispersed spherical micron-sized metal powders. Whereas there exist today various methods for making uniform sized particles, they are either unsuited to high -melting point materials, unperfected at sizes below 100 gm, slow or very expensive. Commercial spherical gas-atomized powders are available, but have wide size distributions. We propose to demonstrate liquid metal pressurization and perturbation of flow through a plate containing multiple high-speed drop-forming nozzles by means of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The objective is a system suitable for use at high temperatures (=2000C) permitting continuous feed (vs. batch processing), no moving parts, no high-pressure reservoir of liquid metal and high productivity. The research includes analysis, design, construction, and testing of MHD pressurization and perturbation equipment and the nozzle plate. The Phase I goal is production of uniform drops of low melting point metals using MHD and a multiple nozzle array. In Phase II, the process will be extended to accommodate high temperature and increased throughput in a complete bench-top system producing "monospheres" of cobalt and iron. This technology offers a means of producing significant quantities of desirable monospheres at commodity prices.The primary customers for powders manufactured by the process innovated herein are Powder Metal parts producers, initially by Metal Injection Molding and Hot Isostatic Pressing. By serving as uniform substrates for coating, the uniform particles will improve the ability to produce consistently alloyed and dense parts cost-competitively. Among many other markets are filters, catalysts, new magnetorheological fluids and biomedical uses. Initial markets exceed $15 million and the potential market in ten years exceeds $100 million.