Patent Publication Number: US-2019178577-A1

Title: Deslagging Device of Vacuum Inert Gas Atomization System

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an atomization apparatus, and more particularly to a deslagging device of a vacuum inert gas atomization system that is able to remove slag floating on liquid metal. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With progress of modern science and technology, requirement for quality of metal or alloy is more and more strict. The high quality requirement of metal or alloy promotes rapid progress of technology of atomization and makes superalloy made by atomization extensively applied. The superalloy such as Nickel-based superalloy is wildly applied to fields of aircraft, biochemistry, petrochemical industry, and biomedical industry. Solid metal is melted, atomized, and solidified during the atomization process and then transformed into metal powder. Alloying degree and purity of the metal powder made by atomization are improved, satisfying requirements of the abovementioned fields. Take vacuum inert gas atomization, abbreviated as VIGA, for example. A conventional apparatus of VIGA has a vacuum chamber, a heater, and a nozzle. Metal is received in the vacuum chamber and heated by the heater to transform to liquid metal. The liquid metal is compressed, then ejected from the nozzle, and eventually transformed into ball-shaped powders that are suitable for 3D printing. 
     However, there is often a slag layer floating above the liquid metal. In order to prevent the liquid metal from being oxidized or reacting with other compositions in the air, the vacuum chamber cannot be opened to proceed deslagging. Therefore, the slag layer floating above the liquid metal causes defective quality of the metal powders. 
     To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional apparatus of VIGA, the present invention provides a deslagging device of a vacuum inert gas atomization system to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide a deslagging device of a vacuum inert gas atomization system that is able to remove slag floating on liquid metal to promote quality of metal powders produced by the vacuum inert gas atomization system. 
     The deslagging device comprises an assembling rod and a deslagging plate. The assembling rod has a mounting head and an assembling section connected to the mounting head. The deslagging plate is mounted to the assembling rod and has a plate mounted to the assembling section and having a first face, a second face, and multiple conical channels. The first face and the second face face to opposite directions. The first face faces to the mounting head. The multiple conical channels are defined through the plate and spaced apart from one another. Each one of the multiple conical channels has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is formed in the first face of the plate and has a diameter. The second opening is formed in the second face of the plate and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first opening. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a deslagging device of a vacuum inert gas atomization system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional side view of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic side view in partial section of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an operational schematic side view in partial section of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another operational schematic side view in partial section of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is still another operational schematic side view in partial section of the deslagging device in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 , a deslagging device in accordance with the present invention has an assembling rod  10  and a deslagging plate  20  mounted to the assembling rod  10 . 
     The assembling rod  10  has a munting head  11  and an assembling section  12 . The mounting head  11  has a mounting flange  13  and a connecting hole  14 . The connecting hole  14  is defined through the mounting flange  13  along a radial direction of the mounting flange  13 . The assembling section  12  is connected to the mounting head  10  and extends along a direction that is perpendicular to the radial direction of the mounting flange  13 . 
     The deslagging plate  20  has a plate  21 , multiple conical channels  22 , multiple stirring units  23 , and a blocking wall  24 . The plate  21  is a round disk, is mounted to the assembling section  12 , and has a first face, a second face, and a rim. The first face and the second face of the plate  21  face to opposite directions. The first face of the plate  21  faces to the mounting head  11 . 
     The multiple conical channels  22  are defined through the plate  21 , are spaced apart from one another, and are circularly disposed around the assembling section  12 . Each one of the multiple conical channels  22  has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is defined in the first face of the plate  21  and has a diameter. The second opening is defined in the second face of the plate  21  and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first opening. 
     The multiple stirring units  23  are formed on the second face of the plate  21 , disposed along the rim of the plate  21 , and circularly disposed around the assembling section  12 . Each one of the multiple stirring units  23  is shaped as a claw. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the assembling rod  10  is mounted to a grabbing device  30 . The grabbing device  30  is connected to a vacuum inert gas atomization (VIGA) apparatus  40  and communicates with the VIGA apparatus  40 . The grabbing device  30  has a shell  31 , an elevatable component  32 , and a spinning component  33 . The elevatable component  32  and the spinning component  33  are disposed in the shell  31 . The spinning component  33  is connected to the elevatable component  32  and is able to rotate relative to the elevatable component  32 . The mounting flange  13  of the mounting head  11  of the assembling rod  10  is mounted to the spinning component  33  and is able to rotate with the spinning component  33 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7 , when the elevatable component  32  descends, the assembling rod  10  is inserted into the VIGA apparatus  40 . The assembling rod  10  passes through a slag layer  51  floating above a liquid metal  50  and extends into the liquid metal  50 . The deslagging plate  20  mounted to the assembling rod  10  contacts the slag layer  51  first and then descends into the liquid metal  50 . Slag of the slag layer  51  flows through the multiple conical channels  22  of the deslagging plate  20  and reaches the first face of the plate  21  of the deslagging plate  20 . The slag is surrounded by the blocking wall  24  of the deslagging plate  20 . Since each one of the multiple conical channels  22  has the first opening having the diameter smaller than the diameter of the second opening of the conical channel  22 , surface tension of the slag layer  51  keeps the slag from flowing from the first opening of each one of the multiple conical channels  22 . The blocking wall  24  of the deslagging plate  20  also can block the liquid metal  50  and prevent the liquid metal  50  from flowing across the blocking wall  24  and mixing with the slag again. 
     Finally, the elevatable component  32  ascends, and the slag of the slag layer  51  is brought up by the deslagging plate  20  to complete deslagging. 
     The spinning component  33  of the grabbing device  30  spins, the assembling rod  10  mounted to the grabbing device  30  spins together, and the deslagging plate  20  mounted to the assembling rod  10  spins together with the assembling rod  10  and the grabbing device  30 . The multiple stirring units  23  of the deslagging plate  20  stir the liquid metal  50  and make the liquid metal  50  distributed evenly. 
     The multiple conical channels  22  of the deslagging plate  20  allow the slag of the slag layer  51  to pass through and be separated from the liquid metal  50 . Each one of the multiple conical channels  22  has the first opening smaller than the second opening to make the slag difficult to flow from the first opening of the conical channel  22  and prevent the slag from mixing with the liquid metal  50 . 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.