MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS FOR PRESSED POWDER BODY

Abstract: There are disclosed a manufacturing process and appa­ ratus for a pressed powder body. At least a manufacturing process for a pressed powder body characterized in that at least two kinds of ultrafine particles are mixed together in a carrier gas, and then the resultant mixture gas is sprayed onto an objective surface, so that there may be formed thereon, by a spraying pressure thereof, a pressed powder body comprising an aggregated solid lump of those ultra­ fine particles. Said resultant pressed powder body may then be subjected to manufacturing process for a pressed pow­ der body as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the re­ sultant pressed powder body is, then, subjected to a press­ ing operation in such a condition as it is left or in an enve­ loped condition while being not heated or being heated at a comparatively low temperature. The apparatus comprises a mixing chamber (1) for mixing said carrier gas and said ul­ trafine particles (a, b), a pressed powder body forming chamber (14) receiving this mixture through a spraying noz­ zle (15) therein spraying said mixture onto an objective sur­ face (17), a tubular guide (20) surrounding said objective surface (17). An enveloping tube (25) may contain therein a pressed powder body (c) formed on said surface (17).

Description: This invention relates to a manufacturing process and a manufacturing apparatus for a pressed powder body of ultrafine particles used as a raw material thereof. It has been hitherto known that in a case where it is required for a structural material to have such predetermined characteristics as predetermined strength, hardness, toughness, durability, etc., there is manufactured, by such a conventional lump forming process as a melting cast process, a sintering process or the like, an integral composite product comprising any kind of metal or any kind of alloy constituting the main component of the product and any different kind of metal, alloy or such a compound as a metallic oxides or the like. For obtaining a product having a predetermined characteristics, it is necessary to manufacture a lump or agglomerate product having an uniform structure comprising a mixture of any metal and different kind of metal or a compound, for instance. A product meeting this requirement cannot be obtained by a conventional manufacturing process. Namely, in the foregoing lump forming process, metallic particles and compound particles, after mixed together, are heated to be brought into a molten condition thereof or such a high temperature-elevated sintering condition thereof that causes extremely vigrous moving and dispersing between atoms thereof, so that the particles are mutually fused together to generate growing or particles, and thereby a predetermined dispersed condition of the particles at the time of mixing thereof is easily collapsed to result in a composite product comprising an extremely inequally mixed structure of different kinds of materials. Thus, it is difficult to maintain, at a final stage of the process, a predetermined structure which has uniformly most suitable predetermined characteristics. To cite concrete examples thereof, for manufacturing a dispersed reinforced alloy composite product, it is necessary to disperse in a metallic matrix ultrafine particles of metallic oxide, for instance. In this case, however, a mixture thereof is heated for several ten minutes to such a high temperature that is at least 60% higher than the melting point of the metallic material, so that it is difficult to presume the characteristics of a product after solidified or cooled. In the case of the melting cast process, an influence on a cast product by segregation by gravity during maintain the molten condition thereof cannot be neglected. In the case of the sintering process, it is difficult to obtain a uniform mixture of components of a composite product at the time of mixing thereof before those are formed into a sintere product, and additionally there is caused growing of the particles by a high temperature of above about 500°C. Consequently, there cannot be obtained a lump form product having a uniform composite structure. This invention has for its object to provide a manufacuturing process and for a manufacturing apparatus which can remove the foregoing defects of the conventional processes and which can obtain a predetermined uniform mixing condition by mixing and a pressed powder body comprising a lump form product having a predetermined uniform composite structure without changing the foregoing predetermined mixing condition obtained by the mixture. According to this invention at least two kinds of ultrafine particles are mixed together in a carrier gas, and then the resultant mixture gas is sprayed onto a collecting surface by means of a predetermined spraying pressure, so that there may be formed thereon, by said spraying pressure, a pressed powder body comprising an aggregated solid lump of those ultrafine particles. Additionally, for manufacturing a pressed powder body which is in a predetermined uniform structure condition, higher in densitiy or compactness and more excellent in various characteristics, said resultant pressed powder body is, then, subjected to a pressing operation in such a condition as it is left or is placed in an envelope while being not heated. Alternatively the pressed powder body may be heated at a comparatively low temperature. Next, embodying examples of this invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagram showing one embodying example of this invention manufacturing apparatus, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion thereof, Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of a part of a modified example thereof, Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of a pressed powder forming chamber having an enveloping means for a pressed powder body, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a perspective view, partly omitted, of an enveloping tube air-tightly sealing therein a pressed powder body, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a pressed powder body with a high density. Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes a mixing chamber for mixing together at least two kinds of ultrafine particles. The mixing chamber 1 is connected on one side thereof, through a raw material conveying pipe 2, to an ultrafine particle producing chamber 3, and is connected on the other side thereof, through a raw material conveying pipe 4, to an ultrafine particle producing chamber 5 which is to produce ultrafine particles different in kind from the raw material, that is, the ultrafine particles to be produced in the chamber 3 and a mixture gas conveying pipe 7 is connected to a top opening portion 6 of the mixing chamber 1. Respective carrier gas introducing pipes 8, 9 for any desired gas such as an inert gas or the like are connected to the respective producing chambers 3, 5, and these chambers 3, 5 are provided at respective bottom portions thereof with heating means 10, 11, so that evaporation raw materials A and B of mutually different kinds selected from a metal, an alloy, such a compound as a metallic oxide or the like, a synthetic resin or the like prepared in these chambers 3, 5 are heated and evaporated by the respective heating means 10, 11 for producing ultrafine particles thereof. Numerals 12, 13 denote opening portions made in top walls of these chambers 3, 5 for being in communication with the respective conveying pipes 2, 4. A forward end portion of the mixture gas conveying pipe 7 led out from the mixing chamber 1 is introduced into an adjacent pressed powder body forming chamber 14, and the pipe 7 has at its forward end a spraying nozzle 15 directed downwards. The nozzle 15 is connected at its base portion, through a holding arm 16a, to a nozzle eccentric rotation system means 16 so that the same may be given an eccentric rotation, and thereby there may be formed a pressed powder body comprising uniformly mixed ultrafine particles that has a diameter which is much larger than the caliber of the nozzle 15. An adhesion plate 17 in the form of a circle or the like and of a proper size is so provided below the nozzle 15 as to face the same. Additionally, the adhesion plate 17 is so supported as to be movable upwards and downwards, on an elevating rod 18 which is connected at its upper end to a lower surface of the plate 17. The elevating rod 18 is pierced through a bottom wall of the chamber 14 and is arranged to be driven by an elevating driving means 19 provided therebelow. A hollow tubular guide wall 20 is provided on an outer circumference of an upper and lower moving path of the adhesion plate 17 so that as shown clearly in Fig. 2, at the time of forming of the pressed powder body, the adhesion plate 17 may be first located at an upper end of the tubular guide wall 20 and then gradually lowered as shown by chain lines in the course of forming of the pressed powder body, and thus the pressed powder body of a column form of a predetermined length may be formed on the upper surface thereof. Usually, a gap between the lower end of the nozzle 15 and the adhesion plate 17 is extremely small and is generally kept in a range of about 0.5 - 2 mm in order that a strong spraying pressure of the spraying nozzle 15 may be applied to the adhesion plate 17, and also when the mixed ultrafine particles are thereafter being sprayed and deposited on the upper surface of the adhesion plate 17 which is being moved downwards, the adhesion plate 17 is so moved downwards as to keep such a small gap range as substantially equal to the foregoing one between the nozzle 15 and the surface of the pressed particle body being forward. For example, the diameter of the upper surface of the adhesion plate 17 is 3 mm, the caliber of the forward end of the nozzle is 0.6 mm, and the eccentric degree thereof is about 1 mm. The adhesion plate 17, the elevating rod 18 and the tubular guide wall 20 may be provided with a temperature control mechanism (not illustrated) for controlling them to be a desired temperature ranging from about -50°C to 150°C by means of liquid nitrogen, water, heater or the like. It is usual that the pressed powder body forming chamber 14 is connected on one side thereof, through a connecting pipe 21, to a vacuum pump (not illustrated) and is connected on its other side to such an inert gas introducing pipe 22 as Ar or the like so that at the time of operation thereof the interior of the chamber 14 may be kept at a proper vacuum degree or additionally an inert gas may be introduced therein as an occasion demands. However, it is possible that the chamber 14 is used under an atmospheric pressure, depending on the kind of the ultrafine particles. Next, a manufacturing process of a pressed powder body by operating the foregoing apparatus will be explained as follows:- A metal A , for instance, is prepared in the ultrafine particle producing chamber 3 on one side, and is heated at a predetermined temperature to produce vapor thereof and an inert gas is introduced through the carrier gas introducing pipe 8 for the vapor of metal and causes the vapor to be introduced into the mixing chamber 1 from one side thereof. At the same time, a metallic oxide B, for instance, is prepared in the ultrafine particle producing chamber 5 on the other side, and is heated at a predetermined temperature to produce vapor thereof, and a gas which does not react with the foregoing metal vapor is introduced through the carrier gas introducing pipe 9 for causing the oxide vapor to be introduced into the mixing chamber 1 from the other side thereof, whereby these two kinds of ultrafine particles a , b in a predetermined composition ratio are mixed together uniformly in the mixing chamber 1 by these carrier gases. The mixing ratio of these two kinds of vapors, that is, ultrafine particles is properly set by adjusting properly the heating condition of the producing chambers 2, 5, and the introducing amount of the carrier gases through the introducing pipes 8, 9. The two kinds of ultrafine particles a , b are easily flown and agitated and are mixed together in a floating condition in the mixing chamber 1 by the carrier gases, so that there may be obtained such a good mixture gas that the mixing ratio of the two is equal at every portion thereof. The mixture gas thus obtained is sent under pressure, through the conveying pipe 7, by a conveying pressure generated in the mixing chamber 1, and is sprayed or jetted under a strong spraying pressure from the nozzle 15 of the forward end of the conveying pipe 7 against the upper surface of the adhesion plate 17 positioned in front thereof with a gap of 1 mm, for instance left between, whereby the mixture of the ultrafine particle a , b uniformly mixed as mentioned above is adhered under pressure to the surface of the plate 17 and is gradually accumulated thereon. During this operation, the nozzle 15 is being rotated eccentrically, so that there can be obtained the accumulated layer thereof which is uniform in thickness over the whole surface of the adhesion plate 17. Prior to this spraying procedure, the interior of the pressed powder body forming chamber 14 is kept to be 1 Torr 1.3 x 10² Pa, for instance, by the way that the same is evacuated by the vacuum pump or that the balance between the evacuation capacity and the inert gas introducing amount may be properly controlled. In accordance with the progress of this spraying, the pressing adhesion accumulation by spraying of the mixed ultrafine particles is continued in such a manner that the adhesion plate 17 is gradually lowered while leaving the gap of 1 mm between the nozzle 15 and the surface of the accumulated layer, and as a result there is obtained in the tubular guide wall 20 this invention pressed powder body c comprising a single column-shaped aggregated solid lump of the ultrafine particles as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, this pressed powder body c is formed by gradually depositing the ultrafine particles under a strong pressure caused by spraying, and consequently there is produced a pressed powder body c comprising such a firmly aggregated solid lump that is not easily broken with and that the ultrafine particles thereof being strongly combined together, even if not heated. Owing to that the body c comprises ultrafine particles, if pressed powder body c is desired to be produced into a sintered pressed powder one, the deposited ultrafine particles are heated at such a comparatively low temperature as preferably below 100°C, for instance, that makes it possible to effect only surface dispersion of the ultrafine particles. Thus, the mixed ultrafine particles can be formed into a sintered pressed powder body of which a mixing structure condition remains as it is in the predetermined uniform mixing structure condition. Instead of the foregoing manufacturing process, such a modified manufacturing process is adoptable that the ultrafine particles are previously produced and are thereafter introduced into the mixing chamber. A manufacturing apparatus for carrying out this manufacturing process is so constructed that, in place of one or both of ultrafine particle producing chambers 3, 5, for instance, one of them as shown in Fig. 3, there is used a container 23 which contains therein ultrafine particles previously produced, and a discharging opening thereof is connected through the conveying pipe 4 to the mixing chamber 1, and an introducing pipe 24a of an external carrier gas supplying means 24 is connected to an introducing opening of the chamber 23 so that the carrier gas may be introduced into the container 23 from the carrier gas source 24b at a proper pressure flowing rate for conveying the ultrafine particles b contained in the container 23 to the mixing chamber 1: The pressed powder body c thus manufactured is obtained with one comprising a predetermined structure having a mixing ratio of the two kinds of the ultrafine particles which is equal to such a mixing ratio thereof prepared in the mixing chamber 1 that the two kinds of ultrafine particles are mixed together uniformly at any point of the interior of the chamber 1, so that there can be manufactured by this invention process such a pressed powder body of which the characteristics or the like can be previously determined. If any kind of precious metal such as Ag, Au or the like is produced into vapor of ultrafine particles thereof under a high purity gas atmosphere, and the ultrafine particles are conveyed and sprayed by the gas to be formed into a pressed powder body thereof, sintering between those ultrafine particles is advanced, extremely slowly, even at 0°C. If such a sintering is not desired, the pressed powder body thereof is manufactured under the condition that the adhesion plate 17 and the tubular guide wall 20 are cooled by a cooling medium to be kept below 0°C, for instance, until -60°C, when considering prevention of an influence thereon by a vapor pressure of water vapor. The pressed powder body obtained as above is a comparatively porous one, and as desired, the same may be formed into a pressed powder body with a high density by compression by the way that the same is taken out from the chamber 14 and is applied with a pressure by any proper means. In this case, depending on the kind of ultrafine particles, the body, if taken out to the exterior of the chamber 14, is feared to be oxidized or burned. For such a body, it is necessary that the pressed powder body is enveloped hermetically by a proper material in the chamber 14 before taken out. Figs. 4 and 5 show the pressed powder body forming chamber 14 having a covering and hermetically sealing means for achieving the foregoing purpose. The arm 16a holding the base portion of the nozzle 15 is arranged to be turnable in the horizontal direction as illusrated, so that the same, when not used, may be retreated sideway from its predetermined position which is above the adhesion plate 17. Additionally, a supporting arm 26 holding a enveloping tube 25 which is made of such a soft and tough metal as Al, Cu, etc., or a thermo-plastic synthetic resin and has a size enough to contain and hermetically seal the column-shaped pressed powder body c is provided turnably in the horizontal direction in the chamber 14, and in addition a pair of pushing rods 27, 27 facing one another for clamping an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the enveloping tube 25 for hermetically closing upper and lower opening ends thereof are so provided as to be movable to advance and retreat. Numerals 28, 28 denote air-pressure cylinder chambers for driving the pushing rods 27, 27. The remaining parts thereof are not substantially different from the pressed powder body forming chamber shown in Fig. 1. Next, the operation of the foregoing hermetically enveloping means will be explained as follows:- Firstly, in order to envelope the column-shaped pressed powder body c, the nozzle 15 is retreated sideway from the position above the adhesion plate 17 as illustrated by means of the nozzle holding arm 16a. Thereafter, the covering tube supporting arm 26 is turned so that the enveloping tube 25 may be positioned on the center line of the column-shaped pressed powder body c formed on the adhesion plate 17 as illustrated. Under this condition, the elevating rod 18 is moved upwards until the pressed powder member c is inserted into the covering tube 25. Under this condition, the upper end portion of the enveloping tube 25 is clamped under pressure by advancing the pair of opposite pushing rods 27, 27 on both outsides, and thereby the upper end portion is so flattened under pressure that the opening end portion thereof is air-tightly closed. On this occasion, the pressed powder body c is held by the flattened upper end portion. Next, after the pushing rods 27, 27 are slightly retreated, the elevating rod 18 is further moved upwards so that the lower end portion of the enveloping tube 25 may be located at a position facing the pair of pushing rods 27, 27. Thereafter, the elevating rod 18 is lowered to retreat from the lower end of the enveloping tube 25, and thereafter the lower end portion of the covering tube 25 is clamped and flattened by advancing the push rods 27, 27, so that the opening end portion thereof is hermetically closed. In a case where the enveloping tube 25 to be used is a synthetic resin made one, a heat seal means (not illustrated) is additionally provided so that the flattened portions of the upper end portion and the lower end portion may be sealed up by heat. Thus, after the air-tightly enveloping of the pressed powder body c is completed, the forming chamber 14 is released from its vacuum condition, and thereafter the hermetically enveloped pressed powder body c is taken out to the exterior. Fig. 6 shows one example of the hermetically enveloped pressed powder body c. Numerals 25a, 25a denote flattened sealed portions formed on both ends of the metallic covering tube 25. Then, this hermetically enveloped pressed powder body c is subjected to such a desired working treatment as a cold hydrostatic pressing, a warm hydrostatic pressing, a cold rolling, a warm rolling or the like, so that the pressed powder body c is compressed to be formed into a non-porous, compact and high dense pressed powder body (Fig. 7). In this case, in order to obtain a high dense pressed powder body (bulk material) without collapsing the predetermined uniformly mixed composite structure constituting the pressed powder body c, and in a case where it is desired to be heated, the body c is heated at a temperature below 200°C, and more preferably below 150°C. Such a high dense pressed powder body thus formed by compression becomes comparatively stable to the atmospheric air. Next, the covering tube 25 is opened by cutting or the like, and the high dense pressed powder body c is taken out therefrom, and the same is further applied, if required, with a desired working such as rolling, heating-pressing or the like. If it is required that the high dense pressed powder body c is applied with working such as hot pressing or the like, without being exposed to the atmospheric air, the same is introduced into a glove box having its atmosphere similar to that of the foregoing forming chamber 14, and the same is taken out from the covering tube in the glove box and is subjected therein to a desired working treatment such as pressing, heating-pressing or the like. As for the material for the ultrafine particles, it is selected from metals, alloys, or inorganic compounds such as an oxide of Al₂O₃, SiO₂ or the like, a carbide of TiC, SiC or the like, a nitride of titanium nitride, silicon nitride or the like, synthetic resins of vinyl chloride, nyron or the like. Two kinds or more of those material are properly selected and are mixed together in a predetermined mixing ratio by carrier gases, so that there can be formed various pressed powder bodies of various kinds of composite materials. In the foregoing examples, there has been explained the case that two kinds of ultrafine particles are introduced into the mixing chamber 1 and are mixed together. However, in a case where three kinds of ultrafine particles, for instance, are to be mixed together, there is added to the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 or that shown Fig. 3 another ultrafine particle producing chamber or another mixing chamber which is connected to the mixing chamber 1. Next, a more concrete embodying example, that is, a specific example for manufactureing a reinforced nickel pressed powder body in which alumina ultrafine particles of 1 - 3% by weight is uniformly dispersed in a Ni ultrafine particles matrix will be explained as follows:- The foregoing apparatus in Fig. 3 is used. A metal of Ni is heated and evaporated in the ultrafine particle producing chamber 3, and the resultant vapor is introduced into the mixing chamber 1 by a carrier gas of Ar introduced into the chamber 3, under such a conveying amount condition that the carrier gas flowing rate is 0.45 liter/min. and the conveyed Ni ultrafine particle flowing rate is 12.6 mg/min. On the other hand, a predetermined amount of α -alumina high pure ultrafine particles on the market (average particle diameter is 0.6 µm, and specific surface area is 20 m² /g) is previously contained in the container 23 shown in Fig. 3, and Ar gas is introduced into the container 23 from the carrier gas supplying means 24, whereby the alumina ultrafine particles are agitated and floated in the container 23, and are introduced into the mixing chamber 1 under the conveying amount condition that flowing rate of the Ar gas serving as the carrier gas for uniformly carrying the ultrafine particles is 0.1 liter/min. and the alumina ultrafine particle flowing amount is 0.25 mg/min. Thus, there is created in the mixing chamber 1 such a mixture gas that the two kinds of ultrafine particles are uniformly distributed and mixed at the predetermined mixing ratio. This mixture gas is sprayed from the nozzle 15 introduced into the pressed powder form forming chamber 14 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, through the conveying pipe 7, against the surface of the adhesion plate 17 of 3 mm in diameter facing the nozzle 15, while leaving a gap of 1 mm, for instance, therebetween. The foregoing Ni ultrafine particles are produced in such a condition that Ni is heated by an Al₂O₃ coated basket type tungsten heater (heating power 750W) under an Ar atmosphere so that Ni ultrafine particles may be evaporated at a producing rate of 80mg/min. The interior of the pressed powder body forming chamber 14 is previously subjected to an evacuation thereof by a vacuum pump and an introduction of Ar gas so as to be kept at a vacuum degree of 0.07 Torr (9.3 Pa) under an Ar atmosphere. The nozzle 15 is 0.6 mm in inner diameter, and the spraying of the mixed ultrafine particles is carried out, while the nozzle 15 is rotated by the nozzle eccentric rotation system means 16 at a speed of 5 r.p.m. and with an eccentric amount of 1 mm. Meanwhile, the adhesion plate 17 is lowered at a speed of 0.37 mm/min., and under the condition that there is left always a gap of 1 mm between the nozzle 15 and the upper surface of the accumulated or deposited layer of the mixed ultrafine particles adhered to the adhesion plate 17, the spraying is carried out to form a column-shaded pressed powder body c. By this spraying operation, there is obtained the column-shaped pressed powder body c of 3 ± 0.1 mm in diameter and 42 mm in length. It has been confirmed that this pressed powder body c has a weight of 1.48 g and a density ratio of 56 %, and is such a solid lump pressed powder body that the Ni ultrafine particles and the alumina ultrafine particles are mixed together uniformly at a predetermined mixing ratio over the whole and at any portion of the body and are firmly aggregated together so as not to be easily collapsed in shape. The value of the foregoing density ratio is an extremely high value for a formed body obtained at a normal or room temperature without being applied with a pressing, so that such a high compact product is so stable that raises no problem in any subsequent treatment. In order to place this invention pressed powder body thus manufactured, into the covering tube 25 which is made of annealed high pure copper and is 3.8 mm in outer diameter, 3.3 mm in inner diameter and 90 mm in length, the holding arm 16a is turned to retreat the nozzle 15 sideway, and the covering tube 25 is set at a position where the nozzle 15 was located, that is, the position just above the pressed powder body c, by turning of the holding arm 26. Under this condition, the elevating rod 18 is moved upwards so that the pressed powder body c may be inserted into the covering tube 25 as shown in Fig. 5, and then the upper end of the tube 25 is clamped under a pressure of about 70 kg by the pushing rods 27, 27 to be formed into a flattened air-tightly sealed end 25a of 5 mm in width. Thereafter, the elevating rod 18 is further moved upwards, and in almost the same manner as above, the lower end of the tube 25 is smashed by the pushing rods 27, 27 to be formed into a flattened air-tightly sealed end 25b , so that the pressed powder body c is enveloped hermetically therein. Thus, the hermetically enveloped pressed powder body c is taken out to the atmospheric air, and is applied with a pressing treatment of 1000 kg/cm² in pressure and 10 min. in holding time by a hydrostatic pressing machine to obtain a high density of pressed powder body. It may be also considered that the whole thereof is applied with a hot pressing of 1000 kg/cm² in pressure and 10 min. in holding type under a heated condition of 100°C for obtaining a high density pressed powder body. Thereafter, the covering tube 25 is broken open so as to take out therefrom the high dense pressed powder body. Thus, there is obtained a compressed body of 2.6 ± 0.1 mm in diameter and 36 mm in length, and the density rate thereof has been found to be increased to 87%. The value of this density ratio is equal to that of a sintered Ni product manufactured by a conventional process in which Ni ultrafine particles of several ten - several hundred µm in particle diameter put in practical use hitherto are used as starting raw materials, and are heated and pressed at a high pressure of 2000 - 3000 kg/cm² and at a high temperature of 800 - 1000°C, and thus it has been recognized that this invention can obtain a high density product in spate of extremely lower in pressure and temperature than the conventional process. Additionally, owing to the fact that the pressed powder body is heated at a low temperature according to this invention, the uniform mixing structure of the pressed powder body before being pressed can be given to the high density product without being collapsed. This high dense and uniformly dispersed reinforced nickel pressed powder body has its characteristics as shown in the following table. It has been confirmed by a microscopic observation that the Ni ultrafine particles are not grown, and the Al₂O₃ ultrafine particles are uniformly dispersed in the matrix of Ni ultrafine particles. As will be clear from the above Table, the tensile strength and the proof stress thereof are more excellent than those of a rolled Ni sheet material. In order that this invention pressed powder body with such a high density may be further processed into an expanded material, the same is again hermetically enveloped in a copper covering tube, and is rolled in the atmospheric air while being heated to 100°C. Next, the covering tube is dissolved by being immersed in 30% nitric acid in order to take out the pressed powder body in the sheet form. The product is 1.4 mm in thickness, 3.3 mm in width, 36 mm in length and 98.8% in density ratio. For obtaining a Ni product having this density rate by a conventional sintering process, it is necessary to press and heat the sintered material at a temperature of about 1000°C. The foregoing high dense and Al₂O₃ dispersed Ni pressed powder body of this invention subjected to a low temperature hot rolling treatment is improved by about 30% in its tensile strength and its proof stress in comparison with the spreaded and elongated material Ni, and is substantially equal thereto in elongation. Thus, according to this invention, at least two kinds of ultrafine particles are mixed together by carrier gases, and thereafter the resultant mixture gas is sprayed onto an adhesion surface, so that there can be obtained such a hard agglomerate of pressed powders that those kinds of combined ultrafine particles are mixed together uniformly over the whole range thereof. In addition, by compressing the pressed powder body of those ultrafine particles while being not heated or heated at a low temperature there can be obtained a pressed powder body of higher density and higher strength while the uniformly mixed structure condition thereof remains as it is, and additionally by applying thereto a pressing, a rolling or the like under its hermetically selaed condition, there can be obtained a predetermined composite pressed powder body without being oxidized.

Claims: A manufacturing process for a pressed powder body characterized in that at least two kinds of ultrafine particles are mixed together in a carrier gas, and then the resultant mixture gas is sprayed onto a collecting surface by means of a predetermined spraying pressure, so that there may be formed thereon, by said spraying pressure, a pressed powder body comprising an aggregated solid lump of those ultrafine particles. A manufacturing process for a pressed powder body as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the resultant pressed powder body is, then, subjected to a pressing operation in such a condition as it is left or is placed in an envelope while being not heated. A manufacturing process for a pressed powder body as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the resultant pressed powder body is, then, subjected to a pressing operation in such a condition as it is left or is placed in an envelope while being heated at a comparatively low temperature. A manufacturing process as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said forming and/or said pressing are performed under an inert gas atmosphere and/or an evacuated condition. A manufacturing process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said carrier gas is supplied via a chamber or container containing therein one kind of said particles. A manufacturing apparatus for a pressed powder body (c), characterized in that the same comprises a mixing chamber (1) for mixing together in a carrier gas at least two kinds of ultrafine particles (a, b), a pressed powder body forming chamber (14) connected to the mixing chamber (1) through a mixture gas conveying pipe (7), a spraying nozzle (15) which is so provided in the pressed powder body forming chamber (14) and at a forward end of the conveying pipe (7), and a collecting surface (17) which is disposed to face the nozzle (15) and a tubular guide (20) surrounding a circumferential side surface of the collecting surface (17). A manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said spraying nozzle (15) is provided rotable eccentrically and movable upwards and downwards within the pressed powder body forming chamber (14). A manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said collecting surface (17) is provided movable upwards and downwards within said pressed powder body forming chamber (14). A manufacturing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the same additionally comprises a holding arm (26) for holding an enveloping tube (25) for containing therein the pressed powder body (c) an a pinch mechanism for tightly closing, by clamping, both ends (25a) of the enveloping tube (25). A manufacturing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in an inert gas introducing pipe (22) and/or an evacuating means (21) which are connected to the pressed powder body forming chamber (14).

Inventors: HAYASHI, CHIKARA, KASHU, SEIICHIRO
Applicants: RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF JAPAN, VACUUM METALLURGICAL CO. LTD.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B22F3
IPC codes: B22F9, B22F3, B22F1, C22C1, B28B3, B01J19, C23C24, C23C4