With the object of atomizing high melting metals by some suitable design of jet using air, steam, water or other expansible fluid, the present authors newly designed ring-type atomizing nozzle, by which molten copper was atomized with air.
In the present work, the effects of certain atomizing variables upon the characteristics of the produced copper powder and its particle size distribution have been examined.
The results are as follows;
1) When other atomizing variables remain constant, the peak of particle size distribution curve always occurs at the range of 40 to 50 microns in spite of increasing compressed air pressure.
2) Molten copper atomized with air develops a powder the particles of which are substantially spherical, and this leads to powder of high apparent density-usually between 5.0 and to 5.5 g/cm³ and of good flow factor, -approximately 15 sec.
3) The microstructure of the powder shows that copper atomized with air includes Cu₂O and its concentration becomes higher with approaching outer surface, and also the smaller the particle size, the lower Cu₂O concentration.