Atomising Systems Limited (ASL), based in the UK, has undertaken R&D work on its gas atomizer to meet growing demand for ultrafine gas atomized powders.
Following the development of a improved tundish system, the 200kg batch capacity gas atomizer has now been upgraded with a high power gas heater allowing much higher atomising gas temperatures to be achieved. This, coupled with extensive work on ASL’s gas atomising nozzle system, now enables the production of stainless steels with median particle size of less than 20 microns.
ASL has also invested in uprated sieving and classification systems, allows the company to undertake powder separations from over 100 microns down to less than 5 microns.
With these upgrades ASL has increased its production capacity for the finest grades more than twofold.
The company’s quality control (QC) laboratory has also received a significant expansion with a new Malvern Mastersizer, a total oxygen determination instrument, a compaction press and tensometer for green determination of water atomized powders, and an XRF chemical analyser. The company has also recruited extra laboratory staff.
‘While a massive increase in orders for water atomized powders has kept us very busy, we have not neglected to develop our capability to serve our gas atomized powder clients with new grades for MIM, AM , HIP and thermal spray processes amongst others,’ said Simon Dunkley, ASL’s managing director.
This story uses material from ASL, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
