The Alabama Atomization Facility (AAF) provides solutions for producing metal powders by gas atomization.​

Our capabilities also cover particle size measurement and sieving to produce a wide range of tailored particle sizes.

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What is gas atomization?

Atomization is a powder production process well developed in 1970’s. Current and future demand for additive manufacturing feedstock materials is driving the return to technology development.
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Gas atomization refers to the process of breakup of a liquid into fine droplets, typically smaller than 150 microns, by the impingement of high-pressure jets of gas. The major components of a gas atomizer include a melting facility, an atomizing chamber, and powder collectors.

Melting of the raw material is performed by standard procedures: air, inert gas and vacuum induction melting, arc melting, or fuel heating. The molten metal is passed through a nozzle that controls the shape and size of the metal stream and directs it through the atomizing chamber in which the metal stream is disintegrated into fine droplets by the high velocity of the gas medium. Liquid metal droplets cool and solidify as they settle to the bottom of the atomizer collector.​

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