Patent ID: 8118904

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a metal powder, comprising: supplying a molten metal to a fluid spout unit including a channel such that the molten metal passes through the channel; spouting a fluid into the channel to contact the molten metal using an orifice opened at a bottom end of the channel to form a dispersion liquid composed of multiple fine particles dispersed in the fluid that result from a breakup caused by contact between the fluid and the molten metal, each particle dispersed in the fluid having a vapor layer disposed thereon; passing the dispersion liquid through a cylinder having an axis located downstream from the fluid spout unit that encircles the dispersion liquid, the cylinder narrowing radially inwardly toward the axis around an entire circumference of the cylinder via a radius of curvature that extends in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder such that the cylinder has a smaller diameter in a middle of the longitudinal direction thereof; and changing a traveling direction of the dispersion liquid by contacting the dispersion liquid with the radius of curvature of the cylinder to form the metal powder, contact between the dispersion liquid and the radius of curvature of the cylinder separating the vapor layer from each of the particles using a centrifugal force.