[T1] Powder Production

[15C-T1-09] High Efficient Industrial Laser Methods for Producing Powders

*Y. A Chivel¹ (1.MerPhotonics, France)

Keywords:near- surface optical discharge, , conical laser beams, wire ablation, erosive and gas plasma, particles condensation

Laser gas atomization process has been developed to obtain a spherical metal powder with a particle size of 30-100 μm using laser beams of conical geometry. For obtaining a spherical powder in a wide size range of 50 nm - 100 μm, a continuous optical discharge in laser cavity with a temperature of 20 kK is formed using conical laser beams in an inert gas flow, into which the material is introduced in the form of a wire or a irregular raw powder flow. Particle condensation is strongly quenched by the inert gas flow, resulting in high supersaturation. The process capacity is 0.5 kg/kWh with a laser power of 10 kW. The laser rotating electrode process is designed that allows to obtain particles from nm to hundreds of microns with an efficiency of 10 kg/hour.Formation of nano particles using inert gas condensation of laser vapour plume has been investigated.