The Paton Welding Journal, 2023, №03



2023 №03 (04)

DOI of Article 10.37434/tpwj2023.03.05

2023 №03 (06)

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The Paton Welding Journal, 2023, #3, 33-41 pages

Effectiveness of the process of plasma-arc spheroidization of current-conducting titanium wire

V.M. Korzhyk, D.V. Strogonov, O.M. Burlachenko, A.Yu. Tunik, O.V. Ganushchak, O.P. Hrishchenko

E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute of the NAS of Ukraine 11 Kazymyr Malevych Str., 03150, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: office@paton.kiev.ua

Abstract
The possibility of producing spherical titanium powders by application of the technology of plasma-arc atomization of compact current-conducting Ti wire of Grade 2 of 1.6 mm diameter was experimentally confirmed. Analysis of granulometric composition of the powder showed that the main fraction of the powder is 25…250 μm, making up 95 % of the total powder volume, quantity of particles of <25 μm and 250…315 μm fractions not exceeding 5 %. Parameters of the titanium powder shape were studied. It was shown that the majority of the particles are of a regular spherical shape with sphericity coefficient close to 0.8. The quantity of defective particles is not more than 3 % of the total weight of the powder. It was found that atomization by the wire-anode scheme leads to a considerable increase of wire heating efficiency (by approximately 4 times), compared to the scheme of atomization of neutral wire, which promotes an increase of process efficiency from 2…5 to 12 kg/h. It is shown that application of the technology of plasma-arc spheroidizing of the titanium wire allows producing spherical powders for 3D printing of high-quality products for the aerospace industry by the technologies of selective and direct laser melting and sintering and by the methods of powder (granulated) metallurgy (hot isostatic pressing with subsequent thermomechanical treatment). Ref. 21, Tabl. 2, Fig. 6.
Keywords: plasma-arc atomization; current-conducting wire; spheroidizing; titanium powder; granulometric composition; sphericity

Received: 30.02.2023
Accepted: 24.04.2023

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