Atomized Metal Powder

Atomized metal powder is a form of metal produced by atomization, a process that turns molten metal into very fine powder. This powder has unique properties that make it useful across various industries and applications.

Overview of Atomized Metal Powder

Atomized metal powder is characterized by:

• Very fine particle size, usually under 100 microns
• Large surface area
• Flowability
• Ability to be compacted into high density parts
• Consistency in composition
• Spheroidal particle shape

These properties allow atomized powders to be used in various metal processes like metal injection molding, additive manufacturing, and pressing and sintering. The fine size and shape contribute to improved performance.

Atomized metal powders come in a wide variety of alloys including:

• Steel
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Nickel
• Titanium
• Precious metals

They are commonly used for automotive parts, cutting tools, structural components, electrical contacts, magnets, jewelry, and more.

Atomized Metal Powder Types

Type	Description	Composition	Particle Size	Shape
Ferrous	Made of iron, steel alloys	Stainless steel, alloy steel, tool steel	10-150 μm	Spherical
Non-ferrous	Made of non-iron metals	Copper, aluminum, titanium alloys	5-250 μm	Rounded
Precious	Made of precious metals	Silver, gold, platinum	1-100 μm	Spherical

Key Properties

Atomized metal powders have unique properties that make them advantageous for manufacturing:

• High purity: Controlled composition without contaminants
• Consistency: Narrow particle size distribution
• Shape: Mostly spherical for good flow and packing
• Density: Can compact to near full density when pressed
• Reactivity: Large surface area allows improved sintering

Common Applications

Atomized metal powder is used across many industries:

• Automotive: Engine parts, gears, bearings
• Aerospace: Turbine blades, airplane fittings
• Medical: Dental implants, prosthetics
• Additive manufacturing: 3D printing powders
• Jewelry: Precious metal powder for making jewelry

Composition of Atomized Metal Powder

Atomized powders come in a wide variety of metal alloys with tailored compositions to achieve certain properties. Some common compositions include:

Steel Atomized Powders

Type	Main Alloy Elements	Example Compositions
Stainless steel	Fe, Cr, Ni	304, 316, 420
Tool steel	Fe, Cr, V, Mo	H13, M2
Alloy steel	Fe, Mn, C, Cr, Ni	4140, 4340

Non-Ferrous Metal Powders

Type	Main Alloy Elements	Example Compositions
Aluminum	Al, Cu, Mg, Si	6061, 7075
Copper	Cu, Sn, P	C11000, C17200
Nickel	Ni, Cr, Fe, Mo	Inconel 625, Monel 400
Titanium	Ti, Al, V, Sn	Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo

Manufacturers can customize compositions as needed for required properties. Powders also contain trace additives (<1%) like boron, zirconium, and carbon to enhance sintering, strength, or other qualities.

Atomized Metal Powder Composition Specifications

Parameter	Description	Range
Main elements	Major alloying elements	Varies by alloy type
Minor elements	Trace elements added	< 1% by weight
Oxygen content	Oxygen picked up during atomization	<0.5% by weight
Moisture content	Residual moisture after production	<0.1% by weight
Apparent density	Powder packing density	40-65% of material density

Compositions are verified by spectrographic analysis and other methods. Custom blends possible.

Properties of Atomized Metal Powder

The unique properties of atomized metal powder make it well suited to industry applications:

Physical Properties

Property	Description	Importance
Particle shape	Mostly spherical	Improves powder flow and packing
Particle size	10 – 150 μm typically	Affects reactivity, density, surface finish
Particle size distribution	Narrow distribution	Allows homogeneous mixing and compacting
Apparent density	Loose powder density	Impacts quantity measurement
Tap density	Settled powder density	Indicates compressibility
Flow rate	Powder flowability	Important for automated processing
Specific surface area	Particle surface area per unit weight	Determines reactivity and sintering response

Mechanical Properties

Property	Description	Importance
Hardness	Resistance to deformation	Needed for wear resistance
Strength	Tensile and yield strength	Required for load bearing applications
Ductility	Ability to deform before fracturing	Impacts durability and toughness
Porosity	Tiny holes in compacted parts	Reduces with increased pressing density

Properties are controlled through strict composition standards and manufacturing protocols.

Characteristics of Atomized Metal Powder

Atomized powders have unique characteristics that dictate performance:

Particle Size

• Typical range is 10-150 microns
• Narrow distribution ensures uniformity
• Finer sizes improve density and surface finish
• Coarser sizes improve flow and permeability

Particle Shape

• Predominantly spherical morphology
• Enhances powder flow and compaction
• Produced by disruptive forces during atomization

Surface Morphology

• Relatively smooth particle surface
• Has satiny metallic luster
• Surface imperfections increase with larger sizes
• Some satellites possible

Internal Structure

• Homogeneous phases
• Consistent chemistry throughout
• Composition verified by sampling
• Lack of porosity or voids

Controlling these particle attributes allows customization of powder behavior.

Atomized Metal Powder Characteristics Specifications

Parameter	Description	Typical Range
Particle size	Diameter of powder particles	10 – 150 μm
Size distribution	Span of particle sizes	±40 μm from average
Particle shape	Geometry of powder	Sphericity >90%
Surface texture	Smooth or rough surface	Moderate glossy
Apparent density	How loosely powder packs	40-65% of true density
Tap density	Settled density after vibration	55-72% of true density
Flow rate	Powder flow speed	25-35 s/50 g
Oxide content	Surface oxides from production	<1% by weight

Applications and Uses of Atomized Metal Powder

Thanks to its unique properties, atomized metal powder has many uses across industries:

Automotive

• Gears
• Bearings
• Connecting rods
• Supercharger rotors

Aerospace

• Turbine blades
• Structural parts
• Aircraft fittings

Additive Manufacturing

• 3D printing powders
• Binder jet printing
• Selective laser sintering

Industrial

• Cutting tools
• Drill bits
• Welding rods
• Permanent magnets

Medical & Dental

• Dental implants
• Medical implants
• Surgical instruments

Electronics

• Conductive contacts
• Resistors
• Cores and terminations

Luxury Goods

• Jewelry
• Decorative hardware
• Luxury pens
• Coins

Atomized metal powder provides the performance, consistency and precision needed in advanced manufacturing across industries.

Suppliers and Pricing of Atomized Metal Powder

There are many suppliers offering various metal powder varieties:

Major Atomized Metal Powder Companies

Company	Location	Materials Offered	Description
Höganäs	Sweden	Iron, stainless, alloys	Global leader in metal powders
Sandvik	Sweden	Stainless, superalloys, titanium	Leading atomization technology
Rio Tinto Metal Powders	Canada	Aluminum, nickel, iron	Diverse alloy atomization
CRS Holdings	USA	Copper and copper alloys	Specializes in copper powder
Advanced Powders & Coatings	USA	Refractory metals, superalloys	High performance alloys

Pricing depends on alloy composition, quality standards, particle size, and order volume:

Atomized Metal Powder Pricing

Material	Alloy Type	Particle Size	Price per kg
Stainless steel	316L	15-45 μm	$12-18
Tool steel	H13	10-100 μm	$15-25
Aluminum alloy	6061	45-150 μm	$8-15
Nickel alloy	Inconel 718	10-45 μm	$50-150
Titanium alloy	Ti-6Al-4V	15-45 μm	$80-220

Prices decrease significantly with order size. Custom alloys are also available.

Pros vs Cons of Atomized Metal Powder

Atomized powder has some clear advantages but also limitations:

Advantages

• Consistency in composition and properties
• Near full density achievable
• Excellent mechanical characteristics
• High production rate by atomization
• Used in advanced manufacturing methods

Disadvantages

• Higher cost than conventional manufacturing
• Limited to smaller part sizes
• Post processing often required
• Some porosity possible in finished pieces
• Restricted number of alloys and volumes

The benefits often offset the downsides for industries demanding precision, performance, and state-of-the-art materials.

How Atomized Metal Powder is Made

Metal powders are produced through atomization technology. The processes involve:

Steps in Atomized Metal Powder Production

Melting

• Metals are charged into an inert furnace (vacuum or with protective gas)
• Heating above liquidus temperature to melt the metals
• Precise control of temperature, time cycles

Alloying

• Additional elements like carbon or boron are dissolved into molten bath
• Achieves target chemical composition for the alloy

Coarse Filtering

• Ceramic foam filters remove inclusions and large contaminants
• Reduces defects in final atomized powder

Atomization

• Pressurized inert gas disintegrates molten metal into fine droplets
• Various nozzle designs for specialized atomization
• Different gases yield distinct powder characteristics

Powder Collection

• Inert gas carries powder to collection system
• Cyclone separators retain fine powder particles
• Prevent oxidation from exposure to air

Screening

• Multi-step classification system separates particle sizes
• Achieves narrow distribution of powder fractions

Conditioning

• Degassing, drying, or lubricant mixing done if needed
• Removes adsorbed gases or moisture before further processing

The inert environment, specialized equipment, and comprehensive controls result in high purity, spherical, precise metal powders ready for commercial applications.

Metal Powder Atomization Methods

There are several technical variations for atomizing molten metal alloys into powders:

Atomization Methods

Method	Details	Particle Size	Shape
Gas atomization	Uses high pressure inert gas	5-250 μm	Mostly spherical
Water atomization	Breakup with water jets	50-1000 μm	Irregular rugged
Vacuum atomization	Molten stream into vacuum chamber	50-150 μm	Coarser spherical
Centrifugal atomization	Spinning disk disperses metal	50-1000 μm	More irregular

Gas atomization is widely used today given its fine sizes and spherical particle morphology. But other variations serve specialized applications like precious metals or particular alloys and conditions. The atomization technique impacts powder characteristics significantly.

Standards for Atomized Metal Powder

Various standards apply to atomized metal powders:

Powder Quality Standards

Standard	Purpose	Key Criteria
MPIF Standard 35	Ferrous powder specifications	Chemistry, particle size distribution, apparent density
MPIF Standard 45	Non-ferrous powder standards	Particle characteristics, impurity limits
ISO 4490-1	Nickel and iron powders classification	Methodology to quantify powder attributes
ASTM B602	Metal powder characterization tests	Tap density, flow rate, compressibility methods
ASTM B215	Sampling procedures	Powder sampling techniques

These help define product specifications, testing protocols, classification systems, quality control and more. Both global and material-specific standards apply.

Powder Production Standards

Standard	Purpose	Key Criteria
ISO 9001	Quality management	Administration, supplier standards, traceability
ISO 14000	Environmental management	Energy use, waste reduction, conservation
OHSAS 18001	Occupational health/safety	Exposure controls, safety equipment and training
ISO 17025	Laboratory practices	Methods, assaying procedures, calibration protocols

Powders also adhere to various company-specific quality certifications. Review all specifications before sourcing a product.

FAQ

What are the benefits of atomized metal powder?

Atomized powder provides extremely consistent composition, particle characteristics, high purity, and performance properties demanded by advanced manufacturing techniques.

What precision can be obtained with atomized metal parts?

Precision within 0.1 mm is possible for small production runs of under 100 parts. However, precision declines above 250 parts and tolerances over ±0.5 mm are more realistic.

What effects does atomization have on metal microstructure?

The rapid solidification during atomization generates finer grains and extends solid solubility limits. This allows unique alloys and properties. But it also causes higher internal stresses.

What alloys are available with atomized powder?

Hundreds of steel, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, and precious alloys are produced as atomized powder today. Both common commercial alloys as well as high performance grades for aerospace, energy, electrical and other sectors are available. Custom alloys can also be atomized on request.

What is the typical supply chain for atomized metal powder?

Most major metal powder companies manufacture powder directly in their vertically integrated mills before passing through distributors to end users like part fabricators or 3D printing service bureaus. Some distributors may stock select commodity grades readily but custom orders can take months. Plan procurement cycles accordingly based on internal usage forecasts.

Is recycled metal powder available?

Yes, recycling programs are offered for many common alloys and Laser Powder Bed printing powders. The used powder is reconditioned to remove contamination before being re-atomized and resold. However, properties won’t match virgin material. Recycled powder is cheaper but best suited to prototype development versus production.

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