Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member

1. An apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member, comprising:

an inductively coupled plasma torch defining a longitudinal axis, having an upstream end and including an inner plasma confinement tube coaxial with the longitudinal axis, having a downstream end, and in which the inductively coupled plasma torch produces plasma;

an injection probe coaxial with the longitudinal axis at the upstream end of the inductively coupled plasma torch and comprising an elongated conduit which extends through at least an upstream portion of the plasma confinement tube for introducing the elongated member of feed material axially into the plasma confinement tube; and

an atomization nozzle at the downstream end of the plasma confinement tube, wherein the atomization nozzle comprises an aperture coaxial with the longitudinal axis for receiving the elongated member of feed material from the injection probe through the plasma confinement tube, and wherein the atomization nozzle is configured for producing, using plasma from the plasma confinement tube, at least one feed material atomizing plasma jet for surface melting and atomizing feed material of a forward end of the elongated member by exposure to the at least one feed material atomizing plasma jet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a mechanism provided with wheels for feeding the elongated member to the elongated conduit of the injection probe in continuous manner and adapted to rotate the elongated member about a longitudinal axis thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising, in the plasma confinement tube between the injection probe and the atomization nozzle, a preheating zone in which the elongated member of feed material is preheated by direct contact with the plasma in the plasma confinement tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising, in the plasma confinement tube between the injection probe and the atomization nozzle, a preheating zone in which the elongated member of feed material is preheated, wherein the preheating zone comprise a radiation tube surrounding the elongated member in the plasma confinement tube between the injection probe and the atomization nozzle, and wherein the elongated member of feed material is preheated by radiation from the radiation tube itself heated by direct contact with the plasma in the plasma confinement tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomization nozzle defines an annular groove to receive the downstream end of the plasma confinement tube in a sealing arrangement.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coaxial aperture of the atomization nozzle has an input funnel-shaped enlargement to facilitate alignment and insertion of a forward portion of the elongated member of feed material into the coaxial aperture of the atomization nozzle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomization nozzle comprises a plurality of radial apertures spaced apart around the longitudinal axis, and supplied with plasma from the plasma confinement tube and angled inwardly about the longitudinal axis to produce a plurality of plasma jets converging toward a point in axial alignment with the aperture of the atomization nozzle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomization nozzle comprises an internal face that tapers off toward the coaxial aperture thereof, wherein the coaxial aperture of the atomization nozzle is sized and configured to substantially match a cross-section of the elongated member of feed material, whereby moving the forward end of the elongated member of feed material into the coaxial aperture of the atomization nozzle causes building up of pressure of the plasma in the plasma confinement tube to produce an annular plasma jet between the forward end of the elongated member of feed material and the internal face of the atomization nozzle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the atomization nozzle comprises an input port for receiving a sheath gas and an annular output port to form a sheath gas curtain surrounding the annular plasma jet and droplets of feed material expelled from the atomization nozzle to prevent the droplets from contacting a downstream surface of the plasma torch including the atomization nozzle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one feed material atomizing plasma jet comprises a combination of an annular plasma jet and a set of converging plasma jets.

11. An apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member, comprising:

an inductively coupled plasma torch defining a longitudinal axis, having an upstream end and including an inner plasma confinement tube with a downstream end and coaxial with the longitudinal axis;

an injection probe coaxial with the longitudinal axis at the upstream end of the inductively coupled plasma torch and comprising an elongated conduit which extends through at least an upstream portion of the plasma confinement tube for introducing the elongated member of feed material axially into the plasma confinement tube; and

an atomization nozzle at the downstream end of the plasma confinement tube, wherein the atomization nozzle comprises an aperture coaxial with the longitudinal axis for receiving the elongated member of feed material from the coaxial injection probe through the plasma confinement tube.