Melt atomizers, plasma generators, and CVD systems are examples of equipment used in the manufacturing of powders, nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanomaterials, and other particulate materials. Metals or other materials are melted and atomized using melt atomizers to create a powder. Materials can be melted or vaporized using plasma generators to create particle products. To create powder, nanotubes, fullerenes, or other nanomaterials, chemical vapor deposition apparatus (CVD systems) interact with several chemical precursors. For the manufacturing of powdered metal parts, ceramics, plastic fillers, and other specific uses, powder processing equipment is used to produce powders, fillers, nanomaterials, or other particulates.

What is powder processing?

The most popular method for creating ceramic nanocomposites is powder processing. According to earlier sections’ discussions, this procedure produced very good dispersions of nanoparticles in the ceramic matrix, but CNTs didn’t fare as well because de-agglomerating CNTs required several difficult processing stages. When creating ceramic-GNP composites, straightforward powder processing equipment can be used to create very excellent GNP dispersions in the ceramic matrix. The powder is repeatedly squeezed vertically by a punch that is stationary on the horizontal plane in a straightforward compression process where it flows from a bin into a two-walled conduit. A sintering furnace is subsequently filled with the compacted mass. To create sheets, powders are also rolled.

Why powder processing is so important?

The science, supplies, and machinery involved in handling powders are the focus of a whole business. No industry is this truer than the ceramics sector, where practically all materials are provided as a powder. The majority of powders used are inert and nearly all are insoluble. Potters work directly with ceramic granules, manually combining glazes and bodies. When handled, they all flow and dust in distinct ways. They can be found in every hue and range in density from feeling as light as feathers to as heavy as lead. Some powders are considerably trickier to get rid of than others. Some dissolve quickly in water, while others can only do so after being combined with other powders.

Some do not at all float on water, while others do so for weeks. Some of them have soluble salts that color the water they’re blended with (after they settle). When combined with water, some become plastic and sticky whereas others do not. While some powders remain loose, others settle and pack in storage. When stored with others, particles clump together, necessitating high-energy propeller mixing and sifting (to remove the lumps).