JPS61159501A - Method and device for producing metallic powder by ultrasonic wave - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce efficiently and continuously pure metallic powder of the specified size of micron order in a large amt. by supplying continuously a molten metal to the top end of a horn which is oscillated by an ultrasonic wave or near the same. CONSTITUTION:The horn which is formed slender near the top end and wide at the top end 2' is integrally constituted to an ultrasonic oscillator 1 from which the ultrasonic wave is generated by a high frequency oscillator 3 to concentrate ultrasonic energy to said part 2'. The top end is constituted of a heat resistant material such as ceramics or a heat-resistant metal and is heated and held to and at the prescribed temp. by a heater 4 provided with a temp. control device 5. The molten metal is dropped constantly in the specified amt. to the top end part 2' of the above-mentioned horn 2 by a metal supplying device 6. The molten metal is pulverized to ultrafine particles by the ultrasonic oscillation. The ultrafine particles scatter in the air and fall while solidifying. The solidified metallic power is recovered and classified by which the powder metal having the desired size is obtd.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves for producing metal powder on the order of 1 micron.

Generally speaking, to manufacture metal powder, the metal is pressed into a rotating grinder and ground into powder, but the particles of the metal powder do not have a constant size, and if the metal is hard, It took a long time to make a large amount of powder, and the grinder cut away the metal, making it difficult to make pure metal powder.

Methods of producing metal powder by plasma melting or the like are also known, but these methods have the disadvantage that the equipment becomes expensive.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional examples. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves, which can continuously produce pure metal powder.

- In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that molten metal is supplied to or near the tip of a horn vibrated by ultrasonic waves, and the present invention is characterized in that a horn to which an ultrasonic vibrator is fixed is supplied. , comprising a high-frequency oscillator that supplies a predetermined high-frequency output to the ultrasonic vibrator, and means for supplying molten metal to the tip of the horn or its vicinity.6 The following is based on the embodiments of the present invention. The configuration will be explained below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration for manufacturing metal powder according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3
A signal of a predetermined frequency is sent from. Further, the horn 2 is thin near the tip and has a wide tip 2'. A heater 4 is installed near the tip 2' of the horn 2, and the heater 4 is controlled by a temperature control device 5 to control the tip 2' of the horn 2.
′ is controlled at a constant temperature. Further, a molten metal supply device 6 for supplying molten metal is provided above the tip 2' of the horn 2, so that a fixed amount of molten metal is constantly dripped onto the tip 2 of the horn 2. Note that since the horn 2 heats its surroundings and itself, it is preferable to use a heat-resistant material such as a ceramic heat-resistant metal.

In this embodiment configured in this manner, the ultrasonic transducer 1 excited by the high frequency oscillator 3 generates ultrasonic waves. This ultrasonic wave propagates through the propagation medium of the horn 2, but since the tip of the horn 2 is constricted, the energy of the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic vibrator 1 is concentrated on the tip 2' of the horn 2. At Runico, when a fixed amount of molten metal is constantly dropped from the metal supply device 6 onto the tip 2' of the horn 2, the molten metal becomes ultrafine particles and scatters into the air due to the ultrasonic vibrations of the tip 2'. The particles scattered in the air fall because they are heavy, and solidify as they fall. By collecting this solidified metal powder and filtering it, powder metal of a desired size can be obtained.

The heater 4 installed near the horn 2 is provided to prevent the molten metal dripping onto the tip 2' of the horn from solidifying, and keeps the tip 2' of the horn 2 at a constant temperature at all times. Although it is controlled by the temperature control device 5, depending on the molten metal, the horn may not be heated by the heater 4, or the heating may be cut off after being heated by the temperature control device 16 for a certain period of time.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.
The horn 2 and the metal supply device E6 are the same as those in the previous embodiment, but in this embodiment, a blower 7 and a metal powder suction device 8 are provided near the tip 2' of the horn 2. Collect metal powder scattered into the air from '.

In this embodiment configured in this manner, the metal powder scattered in the air can be collected by the blower 7 and the metal powder suction bag w8, so that the trouble of collecting the fallen metal powder can be saved.

In the above embodiment, the size of the particles can be changed by changing the frequency of the high-frequency output from the high-frequency oscillator 3, and the size of the horn 2 can be changed by changing the metal powder.
changing the heating temperature and the frequency of the high frequency oscillator 3;
A powder of desired size can be obtained.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention is capable of turning the molten metal into micron-order powder by supplying the molten metal to the tip of a horn that is vibrated by ultrasonic waves. The use of a steel horn has the advantage that impurities are not mixed into the metal powder, and metal powder can be continuously produced in large quantities.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration for manufacturing metal powder using ultrasonic waves according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration for manufacturing metal powder using ultrasonic waves according to another embodiment of the present invention. be. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Ultrasonic vibrator, 2... Horn, 3... High frequency oscillator, 4... Heater, 5... Sound intensity control device, 6
... Molten metal supply device, 7... Air blower, 8... Metal powder suction device.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A method for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves, characterized by supplying molten metal to or near the tip of a horn that vibrates using ultrasonic waves. (2) a horn to which an ultrasonic vibrator is fixed; a high-frequency oscillator that supplies a predetermined high-frequency output to the ultrasonic vibrator;
An apparatus for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves, comprising means for supplying molten metal to the tip of the horn or its vicinity. (3) The apparatus for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that a heating device is provided near the tip of the horn. (4) The apparatus for producing metal powder using ultrasonic waves as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that a blower and a metal powder suction device are provided near the tip of the horn.