Patent ID: 7093463

Claim:
A process for producing powders, which are formed from substantially spherical particles, from a material, such as glass, ceramic or plastic, which forms a highly viscous melt, which solidifies either at a glass forming temperature T g or at a setting temperature T s , said method comprising the steps of: a) producing a melt with a dynamic viscosity η in the range between 0.01 and 100 Ns/m 2 , b) atomizing the melt using a first gas, the first gas, at an outlet of an annular gap of an annular nozzle, being at least at a temperature T A ≧T g or ≧0.5 T s and an angle of incidence of the first gas with respect to a molten-jet axis being up to 25°, c) cooling particles formed during the atomizing step in a cooling zone, which is connected downstream of the annular nozzle, using a coolant, the coolant being at a temperature <T g or T s .