This analysis examines melt flow dynamics in 316L stainless steel with argon and nitrogen gases, suggesting key influences on particle behavior.
The gas atomization process is a widely used technique for producing metal powders for conventional powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing. Understanding the melt and gas flow behavior during atomization is crucial for optimizing powder quality and improving process stability. The influence of atomizing gas on the melt flow behavior of 316L stainless steel during powder atomization was investigated in this study, focusing on the effect of argon and nitrogen gases on the dynamics of the atomization process. High-speed imaging and calculation techniques were employed to capture and analyze the breakup mechanisms, droplet formation, and particle size under varying gas conditions. Melt flow and particle velocities, droplet size and occurrence were tracked and measured at different times of atomization. The results indicate that the atomizing gas influences the disintegration pattern and stability of the melt flow over time, likely due to the density difference between the gases.
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Fedina et al. (2025) studied this question.