Inert gas atomization system

本应用的主题是用于球形金属粉末的生产、表征和分类的完整系统。为此，应用了惰性气体雾化系统以及相应的表征和分类组件。该系统旨在缩小合金开发和粉末冶金加工研究领域之间存在的差距，这两个领域在LWT和RUB都已经建立起来了。专有的金属粉末成形工艺将使当前粉末冶金研究领域的创新材料和合金概念得到充分解决，这只有在考虑到完整的工艺链时才有可能。这里申请的设施使一个综合的研究方法，涵盖整个粉末形成过程。它需要科学的材料研究，目标导向的合金开发，雾化工艺技术的优化和金属粉末的进一步加工。在多个部门跨学科合作的推动下，采用了从微观结构到部件的多尺度方法来代表和优化材料的工艺链。例如，热力学模拟用于通过神经网络优化合金概念，根据熔体粘度、凝固和氧化行为确定粉末颗粒形成。此外，在微观组织尺度上模拟了金属粉末的凝固和组织形成过程及其性能，以便对加工和冶金相互作用有更深入的了解。因此，可以在初步步骤中评估工艺参数。在粉末生产之后，使用微观和宏观方法对粉末进行表征。通过这种方法，验证了仿真结果，加深了理解，并将其用于合金设计。此外，针对特定性能生产粉末，最终产生具有创新机械，化学或物理性能的成品部件，同时由于材料损耗低，特别经济和可持续。

The subject of the present application is a complete system for the production, characterization and classification of spherical metal powders. For this purpose, an inert gas atomization system as well as corresponding components for characterization and classification are applied for. The system is intended to close the existing gap between the research fields of alloy development and powder metallurgical processing, both of which are already well established at the LWT and the RUB. A proprietary metal powder forming process will enable the adequate addressing of innovative material and alloy concepts in the current research fields of powder metallurgy, which is only possible if a complete process chain is taken into account.The facility applied for here enables an integrated research approach that covers the whole powder formation process. It entails scientific materials investigations, target-oriented alloy development, optimization of the atomization process technology and further processing of the metal powders. Facilitated by the interdisciplinary collaboration of several departments a multi-scale approach from microstructure to component is taken to represent and optimize the material along its process chains. For example, thermodynamic simulations are used to optimize alloy concepts via neural networks, which determine the powder particle formation in terms of melt viscosity, solidification and oxidation behavior. In addition, solidification and structure formation processes of the metal powders and their properties are simulated on a microstructural scale in order to gain a deeper understanding of the processing and metallurgical interactions. Process parameters can thus be evaluated in preliminary steps. Following powder production, the powders are characterized using microscopic and macroscopic methods. In this way, simulation results are validated, understanding is deepened and utilized for alloy design. Further on, powders are produced targeting specific properties, which ultimately results in finished components with innovative mechanical, chemical or physical properties and, which is, at the same time, particularly economical and sustainable due to low material losses.