Abstract
Homogeneity and agglomeration in powder mixes are major issues in the powder metallurgy (PM) industry. and need to be optimized to fabricate near-net-shape parts of complex geometry to tight tolerances. We describe a new method, a 'freezing" technique, for obtaining quantitative characterization of industrial metal powder mixtures, which has been developed with the aim of holding powders in place with minimal disruption of powder position. The effect of the mixing parameters (filling ratio, rotation speed, and mixing time) on the uniformity of the mixture and the size/population agglomerations, based on an Fe-6 w/o ferrosilicon powder mixture, are assessed. Mixing homogeneity and agglomeration are quantified in terms of the standard deviation of the volume ratio of ferrosilicon: iron and the average number of particles for each aggregate in each mixing condition, respectively. For an asymmetrical double cone mixer/blender, mixing speed and time were found to be the most predominant factors controlling the chemical homogeneity of the mixture. Volume-fill ratio and mixing speed were found to be the most significant factors influencing the aggregate size.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19-28 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | International Journal of Powder Metallurgy |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2009 |