Description:
Inert gas atomization is one of the main sources for production of metal powder forpowder metallurgy and additive manufacturing.The obtained final powder size distribution iscontrolledbyvarioustechnologicalparameters:gasflowrateandpressure,liquidmetalflowrate, gas type, temperature of spraying, configuration of nozzles, etc. This work explores anotherdimension of the atomization process control:modifications of the liquid metal properties andtheir effect on the obtained powder size. Series of double-alloyed Cr-Mn-Ni steels with sulfur andphosphorus were atomized with argon at 1600◦C. The results indicate that surface tension andviscosity modifications lead to yielding finer powder fractions. The obtained correlation is comparedwith the individual modification of surface tension with S and Se and modification of viscosity withphosphorus. Discrepancy of the results is discussed. Additives of surfactants and viscosity modifierscan be a useful measure for powder fractions control.