Method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, and apparatus therefor

Abstract: A method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapor or fine droplets comprises the steps of heating and melting the starting raw material (M) in a vessel (18) having opposed reflecting surfaces, and ejecting the melted raw material from the vessel as heated finely divided particles or powder, vapor or fine droplets (28), by introducing a carrier gas (G) into the vessel.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets and an apparatus therefor, and to a method for utilizing the products. The invention can provide finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets suitable for depositing or coating various metals, metal compounds, and ceramics, etc., on a surface of a base such as a steel sheet as used in a plating, flame spraying, CVD, PVD or spray formation process etc. A method is known in which a metal such as iron or nickel is melted by a high temperature arc discharge in a hydrogen or nitrogen gas atmosphere and the molten metal is vapourized by the arc heating and deposited on a wall surface; it is also known to obtain vapour from the surface of a high temperature molten product by a high frequency melting process. In a method disclosed in GB-B 1369585, oxidized finely divided particles are produced by heating the interior of a rotating hollow cylinder. Nevertheless, none of the methods can mass produce the finely divided particles or powder for continuous use thereof as in continuous plating for forming a stacked coating layer on a steel sheet, etc. Particularly, GB-B-1369585 discloses only a method of producing oxidized finely divided particles, i.e., an oxide, and does not disclose a method of producing a non-oxide or nitride, etc. Finely divided particles or powder, etc., are used to improve corrosion resistance, wear-resistance (hardwearing) and surface coloring, etc., by depositing or coating the products on a surface of a steel sheet, etc. Where a product is deposited or coated on a base such as steel sheet, the manner of depositing, coating or stacking an oxide thereon is important; a non-oxide such as zinc, aluminum, or tin, etc., is generally deposited or coated on a surface of a base material using the oxide as a protecting film. This is because oxidation of the base material can be prevented by coating a protecting film which is more easily oxidized than the base material, so that the protecting film is oxidized. This technology is known as a sacrifice corrosion resistance process. Furthermore, by depositing, coating or coating-stacking a nitride such as TiN on the surface of the base material, the coloring or wear-resistance thereof can be improved. Current coating processes the the following problems: (1) In a conventional immersion plating process i.e., a senzimir process, the plating rate is limited to 200 m/min due to the speed neck of the gas-wiping process for controlling the plating deposit. (2) In a flame spraying process, the obtained coating layer is porous. (3) In a CVD or PVD process the cost is high as the coating is thick. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a method by which finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets can be continuously mass-produced. According to the present invention there is provided a method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, comprising the steps of maintaining melted starting raw material in a vessel having opposed reflective surfaces; and ejecting said melted raw material from said vessel as finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, by introducing carrier gas into said vessel and supplying bubbling gas into the raw material in the vessel. The reason why the vessel has opposed reflecting surfaces is that the radiation energy emitted from the heated melt in a high temperature vessel is reflected at the opposed surfaces, whereby the heat energy loss is lowered. As the vessel having opposed reflecting surfaces a cylindrical body, polygonal column, polyhedron or parallel planes can be used. A vessel that can be used while rotating is preferable. Particularly, as a cylindrical body, a crucible is preferably used. Parallel planes are used where for example, titanium having a high melting point is melted by electron beam irradiation and a vapourized substance is directly obtained from a solid material. In this case the material to be vapourized is formed in a plate-shape and the plate-shaped material can be used as an opposing heat reflecting plate. Preferably, a refractory or heat resisting ceramic is used as the internal wall surface of the vessel. To produce a large amount of finely divided particles powder, vapour or fine droplets, a gas is blown into the melted raw material. As starting raw material for the method, zinc, aluminum, alloys thereof, tin or titanium, etc., can be used. For the heating a high temperature combustion gas, plasma or arc is preferably used, and an electron beam or laser can be also used. To obtain a non oxide or nitride, a non-oxidizing gas such as argon, nitrogen, etc., or a reducing gas such as nitrogen, carbon monoxide, etc., is used, and the entire apparatus or a part of the apparatus is arranged under such an atmosphere, and the injected finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets are cooled in the non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere. Preferably, the carrier gas is supplied at a rate of 10 m/sec or less. According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets comprising a vessel having an opening at both end portions thereof and having opposed reflective surfaces, raw material supply means for supplying starting raw material into said vessel, heating means by which said starting raw material supplied thereinto can be melted or maintained molten, injection means for introducing gas into said vessel from one of said openings, and ejecting said melted raw material from said other opening, and gas supply means for bubbling gas into the raw material in said vessel. In the present invention a cylindrical crucible is preferably provided at an end of a rotating cylindrical body, and the raw material supply means is preferably formed by a chute or pipe extending through the inside of the rotating cylindrical body to the cylindrical crucible. Liquid starting raw material is preferably supplied through the chute or pipe, because changes in the amount of products can be thus minimized. When it is not necessary to consider changes in the amount of products, a solid starting raw material can be supplied. In the present invention, a bubbling gas supply means is provided in the vessel, to ensure that a large amount of product is obtained. Further, according to the present invention there is provided a method of depositing, coating, or coating-stacking the finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets ejected from the above-mentioned vessel according to the present invention. By depositing or coating the finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets on a surface of a base, as a mixture thereof or as finely divided particle alone, the corrosion resistance and the hardwearing properties can be improved, or surface coloring can be effected. A non-oxidized deposit can be obtained where an apparatus having opposed parallel planes is used or where a rotating cylindrical body is used, by cooling the injected finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets in a non-oxidizing atmosphere such as argon, nitrogen, etc., or in a reducing gas such as hydrogen, etc., and depositing same on a surface of a base. Thus, an improved hardwearing property magnetic property can be obtained due to solidified deposits. Further, by using a plurality of apparatuses having different compositions as starting material, deposits can be deposited or coated as a plurality of layers or multi-layer. For example, as a first layer on a steel sheet, a material having improved adhesion property thereto is coated, and as a second layer deposited on the first layer, a material having improved corrosion resistance and hardwearing property can be coated. In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of an example of the present invention in which finely divided particles or powder, etc., produced by the present method are coating-stacked on a base material such as a steel sheet using an apparatus for producing finely divided particles, etc., of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 show schematic cross-sectional explanatory views of examples of methods of producing finely divided particles or powder, etc., according to the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus provided with a crucible for a melts having two opposed reflecting planes, according to the present invention; and Fig. 5 shows an example of a method of producing finely divided particles, etc., in an atmospheric condition, according to the present invention. Examples of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows an example according to the present invention in which finely divided particles or powder are obtained and the obtained finely divided particles or powder are deposited, coated or coating-stacked on a base material (steel plate S). As shown in Fig. 1, a finely divided particle production apparatus 10 is supported by a support frame 1 and is provided with a pulley 2 which is rotated and driven by a motor (not shown), and has a rotating cylindrical body 5 which is rotated through a bearing 4 provided on a stand 3 arranged on the support frame 1. A rotating seal 6 is provided at a side edge portion of the rotating cylindrical body 5. The seal 6 maintains a perfect sealing state together with a rotating seal 7. In the rotating cylindrical body 5, an insulating pipe 11 of a heat-resisting ceramic and having a narrow end gas blow-out (ejection) opening 8 and side gas blow-out openings 9, is fixed to the support frame 1. An inactive gas supply pipe 12 for supplying argon (Ar) or nitrogen (N₂), etc., is connected to the other end of the insulating pipe 11 at the support frame side. The supplied inactive gas G cools the internal portion of the rotating cylindrical body 5, and the insulating pipe 11, and at the same time acts as a carrier gas to carry vaporized products, as explained hereinafter. Further, in the internal portion of the insulating pipe 11, an electrode 14 of tungsten (W) etc. connected through a direct current source (not shown) and a terminal 13 is fixedly held by an electrode support 15, in such a manner that a gap forming a gas passage is formed between the electrode 14 and the insulating pipe 11. A cylindrical crucible 18 having openings 16 and 17 at both ends thereof is provided at the end of the rotating cylindrical body 5. The cylindrical internal surface of the crucible 18 always acts as opposed reflective surfaces for reflecting heat energy. Various ceramics can be used as the crucible 18. For an active and high melting point material such as titanium, etc., preferably a water cooled copper hearth is used. A grounding electrode 19 has a structure in which an arc A is generated from the electrode 14 onto the molten raw material M in the crucible 18, and is set by providing an insulator 20 between the rotating cylindrical body 5 and the insulator 20. The grounding electrode 19 can be moved in accordance with the rotation of the rotating cylindrical body 5. Further, a bubbling gas introduction portion 24 is provided at both the upper and lower side surfaces of the crucible 18, to accelerate the vapourization of the raw material such as zinc or aluminum, etc. The bubbling gas introduction portion 24 is provided at the outer wall of the rotating cylindrical body 5 and communicates with a jacket 23 connected to a gas introduction pipe 22 from a gas source. The bubbling gas introduction portion 24 consists of a heat resisting insulating porous plug led to the rotating cylindrical body 5 and the internal wall of the crucible 18, and introduces a bubbling gas G onto the melt M in the crucible 18. A cooling system 25 cools the crucible 18, which is heated to high temperature, to prevent the effect of heat on rotating drive portions and other apparatuses. A raw material such as zinc or aluminum, etc., is supplied from a chute or pipe 27 open at an edge portion of the crucible 18 to the crucible, through a raw material introduction portion 26 and a space between an outer surface of insulating pipe 11 and the rotating cylindrical body 5. The supply of the raw material can be controlled by a liquid level sensor provided under the chute or pipe 27 A continuously moving steel sheet S, which is to be treated, faces the outer opening 16 of the crucible 18, and finely divided particles or powder, etc., are caught by a continuously arranged cooling collector device at the opening 18. The above-mentioned apparatus 10 can be also operated under reduced pressure by setting the entire apparatus in a reduced-pressure atmosphere. A bias is applied to the electrode 14 to generate an arc A between the electrode 14 and the molten raw material M. The electric current flows to the molten material through a slip ring 21. The raw material M is melted by the arc and is held in the rotating crucible 18 by centrifugal force. Even if a uniform arc is not generated, the molten raw material M is uniformly heated at the surface of the internal wall of the crucible 18 and the heated raw material is vapourized from the surface of the material. The vapour is ejected from an ejection opening, by a carrier gas such as Ar or N₂ , etc., supplied from the gas supply opening arranged at an edge of the rotating cylindrical body 5. In this example, when a gas for bubbling such as argon, etc., is supplied as bubbles into the raw material through a bubbling nozzle, finely divided particles or powder or fine droplets 28 are efficiently ejected together with the bubbles and the vapour, and the ejected products are deposited or coated on a surface of a base plates, such as a steel sheet, moving upwards. By using this apparatus, finely divided zinc particles were produced and directly deposited on the base plate S as a deposit D. The working conditions were as follows: Inner diameter of the rotating crucible: 30 mm Length thereof: 40 mm Rate of revolution: 400 rpm Arc voltage: 50 volt Arc current: 20 A Amount of carrier gas supplied: 100 Ncm²/min This apparatus was set in a nitrogen gas atmosphere including 10% hydrogen, and finely divided spherical particles or powder having an average diameter of 1 µm were obtained at a production rate of 500 g/hour by ejecting finely divided zinc particles vapour or steam, or fine droplets. According to the chemical analysis of the finely divided particles or powder, the surface thereof was covered with a 50 angstrom (5 nm)-thick layer of zinc oxide. Nevertheless, zinc oxide was not found in the internal portion of the finely divided particles or powder. It can be considered that the zinc oxide was formed by oxidizing the zinc from the time of taking the zinc product from the apparatus to the time of the analysis. In an example using aluminum, aluminum particles or powder having an average diameter of 1 µm were produced at a production rate of 350 g/hour, and only the surfaces of the aluminum particles or powder were oxidized, to a thickness of 60 angstroms (6 nm), as explained above. In the above-mentioned example using zinc, after the raw material was completely melted and argon gas bubbling was carried out in the melt layer, the production rate was 4800 g/hour. On the other hand, in the case of aluminum, the production rate was 3700 g/hour. Thus the production rate where the bubbly process was carried out was about ten times that where it was not carried out. Further, the raw material zinc was displaced to the raw material aluminum for a short time, because the apparatus has a crucible for melting. When obtaining non-oxide finely divided particles or powder, the hard wearing and magnetic properties, etc., of the obtained finely divided particles and powder were enhanced by increasing the cooling rate thereof. For increasing the cooling rate, Fig. 2 shows a method wherein a gas pipe 29 surrounding an opening 16 of the apparatus is provided at the discharging side thereof, and the products of finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets 28 are cooled by a cooling gas 30 such as nitrogen, etc., from the entire circumferential direction; and Fig. 3 shows a method in which the mixture 28 of the products of the finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets is ejected into water 31. In the latter method, water is injected from an injection nozzle 32a of the water pipe 32, traps finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, and falls to a collecting unit 32. The trapped particles, etc., are separated into water and particles, etc., in a cyclone precipitation tank, etc. Another example of an apparatus having opposed or facing reflectors will be explained. Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus providing a crucible for a melt having a two opposed reflecting surfaces. To the melt 50a and 50b is set a solid of 0.2% aluminum containing zinc. Reference numerals 18 and 18a denote a crucible, and a vessel which supports the crucible, 24 denotes a pipe:for.gas bubbling, 52 denotes an arc electrode provided near the zinc 50a, 35 denotes a valve by which the supply of carrier gas is controlled, and 37 and 38 denote pipes for cooling the crucible. The cooling water is introduced from the side IN and discharged to the side OUT. Further, 39 denotes a steel plate to be coated, 16 denotes a discharge opening for finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplet. When the upper portion zinc 50b is melted, it is dropped and acts as a reflecting surface for radiation energy of the lower portion zinc 50a, and since the arc electrode 52 is provided near to the lower zinc melt 50a, almost, all of the arc is emitted onto the side of the lower zinc 50a. A part of the arc is emitted to the side of the upper zinc, and thus the material of the arc electrode must be the same as that of the lower portion material, so that another composition is not mixed with the products. Furthermore, cooling water is applied to an upper cooling pipe 38 to a degree such that the upper zinc 50b is not melted by the radiation energy of the lower portion zinc 50a. The surface temperature of the upper zinc 50b is preferably measured by a radiation type thermometer or a thermometer embedded in the upper zinc portion 50a. Since zinc finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets produced from the lower zinc portion 50b are adhered to the upper zinc 50b, the amount of cooling water supplied to an upper cooling pipe must be controlled so that the amount of adhered particles, etc., is equal to the vapourized amount of the particles, etc., by the radiation energy from the lower portion zinc 50a. After the lower zinc 50a is completely melted, a non-oxidizing gas or a reducing gas such as argon nitrogen or hydrogen, etc., is supplied from a pipe 24, and the amount of products of finely divided particles, etc., can be increased by bubbling the lower zinc, as explained in the above examples. The finely divided zinc particles or powder zinc vapour and fine zinc droplets produced by using the arc and gas bubbling are fed or discharged from the opening 16 together with a mixture thereof with the argon, nitrogen or hydrogen gas. The discharged mixture is deposited or coated on a surface of an upwardly moving steel plate 39. In this case, when an oxide film (iron oxide) exists on the surface of the steel sheet the adhesion to the mixture becomes poor, and thus the steel sheet 39 must have a high-grade surface obtained by using a continuous annealing furnace using a reducing gas. Further, to prevent oxidation of the surface of the steel sheet before deposition of the mixture, all or a part of the apparatus producing the finely divided zinc particles or powder, zinc vapor of fine zinc droplets must be arranged under a non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere. To maintain the amount of zinc which is deposited on the surface of the steel sheet at a constant value, the arc current must be changed in accordance with change in the speed of movement of the steel sheet 39. Further, in the lower zinc portion 50a a sensor (not shown) by which reduction of the liquid level of zinc can be sensed is provided, and the reduced amount of zinc is supplemented through a chute or pipe (not shown]. Accordingly, while moving the steel sheet 39 having a width of 600 mm and a thickness of 1.0 mm at a speed of 200 m/min, a 12 µm thick coating of zinc was obtained in a 10% hydrogen containing nitrogen atmosphere having a temperature of 480°C. As gas for carrying the starting material, a 10% hydrogen containing nitrogen was used at a supply rate of 400 Nm³/hour. The arc voltage was 50 V and the arc current was 2500 A. Next, a method of producing finely divided oxide particles or powder, etc., using this apparatus, will be explained. When the finely divided oxide particles or powder, etc. are produced, the valves 43 and 44 are opened. The interior of a chamber 45 is maintained under an atmospheric condition and the injection unit 41 in Fig. 5 is operated. Then, finely divided zinc particles or powder, zinc vapour or fine zinc droplets formed in the apparatus are injected from the opening 16 (Fig. 4) into the atmosphere as shown in Figure 5. The injected finely divided zinc particles, etc., are then solidified in the atmosphere. When the diameter of the zinc droplets is large, the distance L between the injection unit 41 and a collection dish 42 is made larger, to ensure sufficient cooling time. Also, by using the same apparatus shown in Fig. 1, finely divided zinc oxide particles, etc., were produced while using a 10% hydrogen carrier gas containing nitrogen. The interior of the chamber 45 was maintained under an atmospheric condition. The product was injected into the chamber 45 at an arc voltage of 50 V and arc current of 1200 A, with the result that zinc oxide particles having an average diameter of 1.5 µm were obtained in a collection dish 42. Also, aluminum was used as starting material for the melting, and aluminum oxide particles having an average diameter of 1.3 µm were obtained. Where finely divided non-oxide particles or powder are obtained, nitrogen gas, argon gas, hydrogen gas, hydrogen containing hitrogen gas, or hydrogen containing argon gas is introduced into the chamber 45, and oxygen in the atmosphere is discharged therefrom. The injection unit 41 shown in Fig. 5 is operated in the chamber, and finely divided non-oxidized aluminum particles are collected. In this case, by blowing a low temperature gas from the valve 43, cooling of the injected particles is accelerated. Using the same apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 finely divided non-oxidized zinc particles or powder were produced. As the carrier gas, a 10% hydrogen containing nitrogen was used and the interior of the chamber 45 was maintained under an atmosphere of 10% hydrogen containing nitrogen. The melted zinc was injected into the chamber 45 at an arc voltage of 50 V and an arc current of 1200 A, and finely divided zinc particles having an average diameter of 1.2 µm were obtained. Also, melted aluminum was used, and finely divided aluminum particles having an average diameter were obtained.

Claims: A method of producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, comprising the steps of: maintaining melted starting raw material in a vessel having opposed reflective surfaces; and ejecting said melted raw material from said vessel as finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets, by introducing carrier gas into said vessel and supplying bubbling gas into the raw material in the vessel. A method according to claim 1 wherein said vessel having opposed reflective surfaces is of cylindrical body polygonal column, or polyhedral shape or has parallel plane walls. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said starting material is selected from zinc, aluminum, tin, titanium, and alloys thereof. A method according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 (a) wherein said means for heating said starting material is an electrical heating means, and/or (b) wherein the vessel is rotated. A method according to any preceding claim including depositing, coating or coating-stacking said ejected finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets onto a base material. A method according to claim 5 including depositing, coating or coating-stacking said ejected finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets onto a base material to form a multi-layer product with layers of different composition. A method according to claim 5 or 6 carried out under an atmosphere of oxidizing, non-oxidizing, or reducing gas. An apparatus for producing finely divided particles or powder, vapour or fine droplets comprising: a vessel having an opening at both end portions thereof and having opposed reflective surfaces, raw material supply means for supplying starting raw material into said vessel, heating means by which said starting raw material supplied thereinto can be melted or maintained molten, injection means for introducing gas into said vessel from one of said openings, and ejecting said melted raw material from said other opening, and gas supply means for bubbling gas into the raw material in said vessel. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said vessel having opposed reflecting surfaces (a) is of cylindrical body, polygonal column or polyhedral shape or is a cylindrical crucible or has two horizontal plates, and/or (b) is rotatable. An apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 wherein a cylindrical crucible is provided at an end of a rotatory cylindrical body and said raw material supply means is formed by a chute or pipe extending through an internal portion of said rotatory cylindrical body to said cylindrical crucible.

Inventors: MIKI TOSHIHIKO, ONOKA ITSUO, UCHIDA HIROYUKI, YAMAGUCHI SUSUMU, MIKI, TOSHIHIKO, ONAKA, ITSUO, UCHIDA, HIROYUKI, YAMAGUCHI, SUSUMU
Applicants: NIPPON STEEL CORP, ONAKA ITSUO, NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION, ONAKA, ITSUO
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B22F9
IPC codes: B22F9, C23C16, B01J19, C23C4, C23C24