Tekna Plasma Systems Inc.

Université De Sherbrooke

Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Inco Limited

Noranda Inc.

Societe De Commercialisation Des Produits De La Recherche Appliquee Socpra Sciences Et Genie S.e.c.

Jerzy W Jurewicz

Maher I Boulos

Alexandre Auger

Jiayin Guo

Gang Han

Shujiroh Uesaka

Nicolas Dignard

Sébastien Thellend

Tatsuya Shoji

Christine A Abdel Messih Nessim

Peter G Tsantrizos

Hiroshi Takashima

Vladimir Paserin

Nicolas Abatzoglou

Lakis T Mavropoulos

Raynald Lachance

Richard S Adams

François Gitzhofer

Christine Nessim

Bruce Henshaw

Andrzej Lasia

Paul Rowntree

Gessie Brisard

Mariko Fukumaru

Hugues Ménard

Mariko Fukumaru (nee Abe)

Christian Normand

Xiaobao Fan

Boulos Maher

Kaiyi Chen

Clermont Roy

Christine A Nessim

The present disclosure related to a process and an apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member such as a wire, a rod or a filled tube. The feed material is introduced in a plasma torch. A forward portion of the feed material is moved from the plasma torch into an atomization nozzle of the plasma torch. A forward end of the feed material is surface melted by exposure to one or more plasma jets formed in the atomization nozzle. The one or more plasma jets being includes an annular plasma jet, a plurality of converging plasma jets. Powder particles obtained using the process and apparatus are also described.

Process and apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member

The present disclosure relates to a process and an apparatus for producing powder particles by atomization of a feed material in the form of an elongated member such as a wire, a rod or a filled tube. The feed material is introduced in a plasma torch. A forward portion of the feed material is moved from the plasma torch into an atomization nozzle of the plasma torch. A forward end of the feed material is surface melted by exposure to one or more plasma jets formed in the atomization nozzle. The one or more plasma jets being includes an annular plasma jet, a plurality of converging plasma jets, or a combination of an annular plasma jet with a plurality of converging plasma jets. Powder particles obtained using the process and apparatus are also described.

An induction plasma torch comprises a tubular torch body, a plasma confinement tube disposed in the tubular torch body coaxial therewith, a gas distributor head disposed at one end of the plasma confinement tube and structured to supply at least one gaseous substance into the plasma confinement tube; an inductive coupling member embedded within the tubular torch body for applying energy to the gaseous substance to produce and sustain plasma in the plasma confinement tube, and an electrically conductive capacitive shield on an inner surface of the tubular torch body. The capacitive shield is segmented into axial strips interconnected at one end. Axial grooves are machined in the inner surface of the tubular torch body, the axial grooves being interposed between the axial strips.

High performance induction plasma torch

An induction plasma torch comprises a tubular torch body, a tubular insert, a plasma confinement tube and an annular channel. The tubular torch body has upstream and downstream sections defining respective inner surfaces. The tubular insert is mounted to the inner surface of the downstream section of the tubular torch body. The plasma confinement tube is disposed in the tubular torch body, coaxial therewith. The plasma confinement tube has a tubular wall having a thickness tapering off in an axial direction of plasma flow. The annular channel is defined between, on one hand, the inner surface of the upstream section of the tubular torch body and an inner surface of the insert and, on the other hand, an outer surface of the tubular wall of the plasma confinement tube. The cooling channel carries a fluid for cooling the plasma confinement tube.

Induction plasma torch with higher plasma energy density

A plasma reactor comprises a torch body comprising a plasma torch for generating plasma, a reactor section in fluid communication with the torch body for receiving the plasma from the plasma torch, and a quench section in fluid communication with the reactor section. The quench section comprises an inner wall defining a quench chamber, the inner wall has a serrated configuration, and the quench chamber has an upstream end adjacent the reactor section and an opposite downstream end. The plasma reactor also comprises at least one heating element in thermal communication with the reactor section, wherein the at least one heating element provides for selectively modulating a temperature within the reactor section.

Plasma reactor for the synthesis of nanopowders and materials processing

A titanium metal production apparatus is provided with (a) a first flow channel that supplies magnesium in a state of gas, (b) a second flow channel that supplies titanium tetrachloride in a state of gas, (c) a gas mixing section in which the magnesium and titanium tetrachloride in a state of gas are mixed and the temperature is controlled to be 1600&#xb0; C. or more, (d) a titanium metal deposition section in which particles for deposition are arranged so as to be movable, the temperature is in the range of 715 to 1500&#xb0; C., and the absolute pressure is 50 kPa to 500 kPa, and (e) a mixed gas discharge section which is in communication with the titanium metal deposition section.

Titanium metal production apparatus and production method for titanium metal

A plasma confinement tube for use in an induction plasma torch is disclosed. The plasma confinement tube defines a geometrical axis and an outer surface. The plasma confinement tube includes a capacitive shield comprising a film of conductive material applied to the outer surface of the plasma confinement tube and segmented into axial strips. The axial strips are interconnected at one end. Axial grooves are machined in the outer surface of the plasma confinement tube, and interposed between the axial strips. The conductive film may have a thickness smaller than a skin-depth calculated for a frequency of operation of the induction plasma torch and an electrical conductivity of the conductive material of the film.

A device for producing titanium metal comprises (a) a first heating unit that heats and gasifies magnesium and a first channel that feeds the gaseous magnesium, (b) a second heating unit that heats and gasifies titanium tetrachloride so as to have a temperature of at least 1600&#xb0; C. and a second channel that feeds the gaseous titanium tetrachloride, (c) a venturi section at which the second channel communicates with an entrance channel, the first channel merges into a throat and as a result the magnesium and the titanium tetrachloride combine in the throat and a mixed gas is formed in the exit channel, and in which the temperature of the throat and the exit channel is regulated to be at least 1600&#xb0; C., (d) a titanium metal deposition unit that communicates with the exit channel and has a substrate for deposition with a temperature in the range of 715-1500&#xb0; C., and (e) a mixed gas discharge channel that communicates with the titanium metal deposition unit.

Device for producing titanium metal, and method for producing titanium metal

Disclosed is a method for producing titanium metal, which comprises: (a) a step in which a mixed gas is formed by supplying titanium tetrachloride and magnesium into a mixing space that is held at an absolute pressure of 50-500 kPa and at a temperature not less than 1700&#xb0; C.; (b) a step in which the mixed gas is introduced into a deposition space; (c) a step in which titanium metal is deposited and grown on a substrate for deposition; and (d) a step in which the mixed gas after the step (c) is discharged. In this connection, the deposition space has an absolute pressure of 50-500 kPa, the substrate for deposition is arranged in the deposition space, and at least a part of the substrate for deposition is held within the temperature range of 715-1500&#xb0; C.

Method for producing titanium metal

Growing community of inventors

Sherbrooke, Canada

Jerzy W Jurewicz