This paper investigates the effects of atomiser design and processing parameters on the morphology and size distribution of centrifugally atomised tin powder. Premature solidification of the melt on the atomiser and poor wetting of the atomiser by the melt were found to be the main causes of unsuccessful atomisation. The particle size distributions of the powders follow a lognormal distribution. The median particle size increased with decreasing atomiser rotation speed and with increasing melt flowrate. Cups with a high included angle made significantly finer powders than flat discs under the same operating conditions.
YuleA. J. and DUNKLEYJ. J.: ‘Atomisation of metals for powder production and spray deposition’; 1994, Oxford, Clarendon Press.
2.
HinzJ. O. and MILBORNM.: J. Appl. Mech., 1950, 17, (2), 145–153.
3.
TanasawaY., MIYASAKAY. and UMEHARAU.: Proc. 1st Int. Conf. on ‘Liquid atomisation and spray systems’, Tokyo, Japan, 1978, Fuel Society of Japan, 165-172.
4.
SingerA. R. E. and KISAKUREKS. E.: Met. Technol., 1976, 3, 565–570.
5.
FraserR. P., EISENKLAME. P. and DOMBROWSKIN.: Brit. Chem. Eng., 1957, 496-501.
6.
ZhaoY. Y., JACOBSM. H. and DOWSONA. L.: Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 1998, 29B, 1357–1369.
7.
ZhaoY. Y., DOWSONA. L., WARDR. M. and JACOBSM. H.: ‘PM'98: world congress on powder metallurgy’, Vol. 1, 8–13; 1998, Shrewsbury, EPMA.
8.
LiH. P. and TSAKIOPOULOSP.: Key Eng. Mater., 2001, 189/191, 245–251
9.
RedingJ. N.: U.S. Patent 3, 520, 718, July 14, 1970.
10.
BuskR. S.: Light Met., 1960, 23, 197–201.
11.
AngersR., DUBED. and TREMBLAYR.: Int. J. Powder Metall., 1994, 30, 429–433.
12.
AngersR., TREMBLAYR., DESROSIERSL. and DUBED.: Can. Metall. Q., 1996, 35, (3), 291–297.
13.
FolioF. and LACOURA.: Powder Metall., 2000, 43, (3), 245–252.
14.
ChampagneB. and ANGERSR.: in ‘Modern developments in powder metallurgy’, (eds.HausnerH. H. et al%), Vol. 12, 83–104; 1981, Princeton, NJ, MPIF.
15.
ChampagneB. and ANGERSR.: Powder Metall. Int., 1984, 16, 125–128.
16.
LabrecqueC., R, ANGERS, R. TREMBLAY and D. DUBE: Can. Metall. Q., 1997, 36, (3), 169–175.
