Patent ID: 8826966

Claim:
A method of providing a non-sacrificial molten metallic material through a pour tube melt containment member to an atomizer, comprising: initially flowing a sacrificial, high oxygen affinity, molten metallic material through the pour tube melt containment member, to thereby contact a substantially stoichiometric rare earth oxide layer in the pour tube melt containment member, to transform said substantially stoichiometric layer into an oxygen-deficient rare earth oxide layer, during which atomizing gas is not being provided to the atomizer, and then flowing the non-sacrificial molten metallic material through the pour tube melt containment member to the atomizer, wherein the non-sacrificial molten metallic material is contacting the oxygen-deficient rare earth oxide layer of the pour tube melt containment member, during which atomizing gas is provided to the atomizer, such that said oxygen-deficient rare earth oxide layer reacts less with the non-sacrificial molten metallic material than a fully stoichiometric rare earth oxide layer, thereby reducing contamination of the non-sacrificial molten metallic material flowing therethrough.