Review on Metal Powder Manufactured by Technologies Utilizing Centrifugal Force

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Powder Metallurgy
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Centrifugal force enables the production of high-quality powders with spherical particles and controllable properties.
• Spherical metal powders are crucial for advanced manufacturing applications, particularly in additive manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comparative analysis of two centrifugal atomization techniques: plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) and centrifugal atomization (CA).
• To systematically examine the fundamental principles, film disintegration modes, and powder characteristics produced by PREP and CA.
• To identify mechanisms leading to common defects and evaluate technological limitations for future advancements.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) and centrifugal atomization (CA).
• Systematic examination of fundamental principles and film disintegration modes.
• Evaluation of resultant powder characteristics and defect mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Both PREP and CA can produce high-quality powders with spherical particles.
• Analysis identified specific mechanisms leading to common defects in powders produced by these methods.
• Current technological limitations and potential areas for improvement were highlighted.

Conclusions:

• Centrifugal atomization techniques are effective for producing spherical metal powders.
• Understanding defect mechanisms is key to optimizing powder quality for advanced manufacturing.
• Further advancements in PREP and CA hold promise for enhanced powder production.