EQUIPMENT
Gas
Atomisation
Moderate production rates, highly spherical particles, with very low oxidation.
Gas Atomisation offers the benefits of low oxygen, highly spherical powder. The throughput potential from a single melt stream is lower than with water atomising, typically from 10-50kg/min, but the applications are generally more demanding or specialised.
If the gas atomiser is specified with ASL’s HOT GAS ANTI-SATELLITE system then the powder will be significantly freer of satellites and can be made even finer or more cost effective.
Whichever way you look at it, the ASL hot gas Anti-satellite can benefit your powder production.
MIM requires fine powders. Hot gas enables this. It allows the gas to metal ratio to be optimised whilst minimising the melt freezing potential. The hot gas provides a higher level of energy and therefore finer powder still. If you are producing MIM powders you should be talking to ASL about Hot Gas.
If you want to produce powders for applications such as thermal spray or brazing, ASL’s anti satellite system will ensure the freest flowing powders are produced, whilst Hot Gas will ensure your gas costs are minimised. Contact us for further details. We can supply you with the gas atomiser optimised for your business.
Water
Atomisation
Irregular particle shape. High production rates up to 60t/hour
Low operating costs
Water Atomisation has the potential to handle huge throughputs of metal on a single melt stream compared to gas atomisation.
Water atomisation is chosen because it produces irregular shaped particles as well as allowing large processing rates of up to around 1000kg per minute. This irregular shape offers the benefits of a much larger surface area, which when used in refining applications allows a greater surface area for chemical attack. PM (powder metallurgy) parts produced by pressing and sintering rely upon the irregular shapes to produce the compressibility and locking nature that holds the parts in their green shape (a certain strength that allows easier handling and sintering).
Atomising Systems Ltd. produces water atomisers operating on small batches of a few kg all the way through to 1000kg/minute.
Smaller scale water atomisers are used in precious metal applications, including dental amalgam production. Large scale water atomisers can be seen making Fe powder for PM applications or atomising alloys for further refining, such as the FeCoCuS Matte atomiser in Chambishi, Zambia. Atomising Systems Ltd. has supplied systems to suit such client requirements.
Water atomisation normally requires a dewatering and drying process as well.
ASL has this covered too as we can offer engineered solutions to optimise the dewatering and drying processes, thus ensuring that you retain your products, profits and help to protect the environment!
If you have a water atomising requirement, contact us here at Atomising Systems Ltd. We have the expertise and experience to help you optimise your equipment.
Centrifugal
Atomisation
The metal is broken up through centrifugal acceleration
A highly efficient atomising method, centrifugal atomisation enables the production of narrow particle size distributions with low energy costs. It does have certain limitations, although less than you may think, due to the demands on the spinning disk. Where it can be applied it offers enormous cost saving benefits.
Used to produce battery grade zinc it allows optimisation of the distribution and maximisation of the yield with a fraction of the energy requirements of a gas atomising plant.
For electronic grade solder powder production, the median particle size of about 30 microns, and a very narrow standard deviation of around 1.3, gives a fantastic yield for Type III (+25-45 microns) and Type IV (+20 –38 microns) solder grades. With on line classification and yields of around 120kg per hour of Type III the system can deliver up to 60tonnes per month of Type III solder powder.
We have also atomised steels, copper alloys and non metals by the centrifugal method. With throughputs of 500kg/minute and higher levels possible, it certainly is an atomising method to consider
ASL has test units available at our site in Sheffield.
Oil
Atomisation
Similar to water atomisation
ASL has shown that water atomisation technology can be adapted to use liquid hydrocarbon instead of water. This eliminates oxidation due to reaction of metals with water, but can lead to carbon pick-up in some alloys.
Costs are less than gas atomisation and large scale of operation is possible. The use hydrocarbons in atomisation requires special precautions to be taken. ASL incorporates the safety precautions into the design of these atomisers.
Equipment Supplied Globally
Ferrous Powders
13 plants for iron powder production from 1 to 100t capacity
9 plants for stainless steel powder production ranging from 150kg to 5000kg capacity
4 plants for high alloy steel powders
3 plants for soft magnetic alloy powders
2 plants for Ferrosilicon dense medium powder production
Nickel and Cobalt Alloy Powders
7 plants for nickel and cobalt thermal spraying powders
2 VIGA plants for superalloys
2 plants for refining or smelting Co and Ni
Non-ferrous Powders
6 plants for copper and copper alloy powders.
4 plants for zinc powder production at 3t/hour in zinc refineries
4 plants for Al and Mg powders
2 plants for lead powder or shot
Precious Metal Powders
11 plants for silver dental amalgam powders
9 plants for silver powders for electrical contacts ranging from 10 to 400kg.
9 plants from 5kg to 5t for refining or extracting precious metals including Au, Ag, Pt, Rh
7 plants for silver brazing alloy powders
5 plants for gold alloy powders
2 plants for platinum and Pt alloy powders (melting up to 1800C)
Special Powders
30 units for R&D work ranging from 5kg to 500kg capacity
10 plants for electronic solder powder
1 plant for silicon powder
1 plant for diamond tool matrix alloy powders
Atomising Systems Ltd.,
371 Coleford Road, Sheffield, S9 5NF, England
Tel +44 114 2626200. Fax +44 114 2626201 . info@atomising.co.uk
Company No 2731401
Incorporated in England VAT No GB 600 1033 29
FM 581102
EMS 673187