Methods for producing metal powders

1. A method for producing a metal powder product, comprising:

providing a supply of a precursor metal powder;

combining said precursor metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry;

atomizing said slurry;

contacting said atomized slurry with a pulsating stream of hot gas to produce the metal powder product;

and

recovering the metal powder product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said liquid comprises water.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining said precursor metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry further comprises combining said precursor metal powder with a liquid and a binder to form a slurry.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said liquid comprises water and wherein said binder comprises polyvinyl alcohol.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said slurry comprises between about 60% to about 99% by weight metal powder material.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said slurry comprises between about 0.01% to about 5% by weight binder.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a supply of precursor metal powder comprises providing a supply of precursor metal powder selected from the group consisting of a metal powder, a metal alloy powder, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a supply of precursor metal powder comprises providing a supply of precursor metal powder selected from the group consisting of a eutectic metal powder, a refractory metal powder, and mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a supply of precursor metal powder comprises providing a supply of precursor metal powder having sizes in a range of about 0.25 μm to about 100 μm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a supply of precursor metal powder comprises providing a supply of precursor metal powder having sizes in a range of about 1 μm to about 20 μm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a supply of precursor metal powder comprises providing a supply of molybdenum metal powder.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating said metal powder product into a first powder metal product having a size range within a desired product size range.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising re-cycling said metal powder product having sizes outside the desired product size range.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said desired product size range comprises a range of about 10 μm to about 100 μm.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said desired product size range comprises a range of about 44 μm to about 76 μm.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting comprises contacting said atomized slurry with a pulsating stream of hot gas having a temperature in a range of about 300° C. to about 800° C.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting comprises contacting said atomized slurry with a pulsating stream of hot gas having a temperature in a range of about 427° C. to about 677° C.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hot gas is pulsed at about a sonic velocity.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting said atomized slurry with a pulsating stream of hot gas includes partially melting at least some of the precursor metal powder product and further comprising allowing the partially melted precursor metal product to re-solidify before recovering the metal powder product.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting said atomized slurry with a pulsating stream of hot gas includes completely melting at least some of the precursor metal powder product and further comprising allowing the completely melted precursor metal product to re-solidify before recovering the metal powder product.

21. A method for producing a metal powder product, comprising:

providing a supply of a precursor metal powder;

combining said precursor metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry;

creating a pulsating stream of hot gas;

atomizing the slurry in the pulsating stream of hot gas to produce the metal powder product;

and

recovering the metal powder product.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising attaining a desired temperature of the pulsating stream of hot gas by blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas before atomizing the slurry.

23. The method of claim 21 , further comprising at least partially driving off a liquid component of the recovered metal powder product.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the at least partially driving off a liquid component includes heating the recovered metal powder product at a temperature below the melting point of the recovered metal powder product.

25. A method for producing a metal powder product, comprising:

providing a supply of a precursor metal powder;

combining said precursor metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry;

creating a pulsating stream of hot gas;

blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to create a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature;

atomizing the slurry in the pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature to produce the metal powder product; and

recovering the metal powder product.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein creating a pulsating stream of hot gas comprises creating a pulsating stream of hot gas that pulsates at a frequency in a range of about 80 Hz to about 110 Hz.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein said blending quench air comprises blending sufficient quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to produce a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature in a range of about 300° C. to about 800° C.

28. A method for producing a molybdenum metal powder product, comprising:

providing a supply of a precursor molybdenum metal powder;

combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry;

creating a pulsating stream of hot gas;

blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to create a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature of at least about 300° C.;

atomizing the slurry in the pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature to produce the molybdenum metal powder product; and

recovering the molybdenum metal powder product.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein said blending comprises blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to create a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature in a range of about 300° C. to about 800° C.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein said blending comprises blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to create a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature in a range of about 427° C. to about 677° C.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein said blending comprises blending quench air with the pulsating stream of hot gas to create a pulsating stream of hot gas having a desired temperature of about 600° C.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with sufficient liquid so that the slurry comprises at least about 60% by weight molybdenum metal.

33. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with sufficient liquid so that the slurry comprises in a range of about 60% by weight to about 90% by weight molybdenum metal.

34. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with sufficient liquid so that the slurry comprises about 80% by weight molybdenum metal.

35. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water to form a slurry.

36. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and a binder to form a slurry.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and sufficient binder so that said slurry comprises less then about 5% by weight binder.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and sufficient binder so that said slurry comprises in a range of about 0.1% to about 5% by weight binder.

39. The method of claim 36 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and sufficient binder so that said slurry comprises in a range of about 0.4% to about 0.9% by weight binder.

40. The method of claim 36 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and sufficient binder so that said slurry comprises about 0.7% by weight binder.

41. The method of claim 28 , wherein said combining comprises combining said supply of precursor molybdenum metal powder with water and polyvinyl alcohol to form a slurry.

42. The method of claim 28 , wherein said providing comprises providing a supply of a precursor molybdenum metal powder having a size in a range of about 0.25 μm to about 100 μm.

43. The method of claim 28 , wherein said providing comprises providing a supply of a precursor molybdenum metal powder having a size in a range of about 1 μm to about 20 μm.

44. The method of claim 28 , wherein said providing comprises providing a supply of a precursor molybdenum metal powder having a size in a range of about 5 μm to about 6 μm.