Water atomised aluminium alloy powders

The new rapid solidification (RS) process based on high-pressure water atomisation (WA) of the melt for manufacturing of advanced aluminium alloys was realised in the form of a pilot plant. The problems of safe operation in the course of Al alloy powder production and powder quality were solved by the use of water solutions of inhibitors, by the control of suspension temperature and hydrogen ion exponent (pH), by the hydraulic classification of atomised products, and by the optimisation of dehydration procedure. The rate of powder–water interaction strongly depends on the value of pH. While the rate of room temperature reactions is very slow at pH 3.0–4.0, the increase of pH to 6.0 leads to an intensive powder oxidation. A set of powder metallurgy (PM) alloys for various applications was produced on the base of water atomised powders. The characteristics of tensile strength of such alloys essentially exceed those of cast materials of similar compositions.