Iron powder is an important raw material metal powder. Iron extraction and industrial applications began in the 1920s. At that time the German production of electrolytic iron and carbonyl iron powder, mainly used as a catalyst for the chemical industry. 30 years to begin production of iron-based powder metallurgy parts. Vortex developed in Germany in 1933, the production of iron grinding. Swedish sponge iron production in 1936 based on the use of magnetite produced by the reduction of low-cost iron. After 40 years in Germany, Britain and the United States appeared molten metal atomization method of manufacturing iron, and on this basis, the rapid advance of the atomized pre-alloy (alloy steel, super alloys, etc.) powder production. China metal powder supplier began in 1958 to restore the production of iron, 60, began with the atomization of various alloys and alloy powder developed.

Iron production method, reduction and atomization is the main production methods. Production capacity of these two methods in the world total production capacity of iron in about half and half. Electrolysis and carbonyl method is mainly used to produce the required magnetic material of high purity, fine-grained iron, and low production.

Reduction

The use of solid or gaseous reducing agent (coke, charcoal, anthracite, water gas, manganese powder conversion of natural gas, decomposition of ammonia, hydrogen, etc.) reduced iron oxide (iron ore, rolled steel scales, etc.) from the system spongy iron. In the reduction, the tunnel kiln sponge iron Preparation of solid carbon reduction, and then crushed with a furnace with a two-stage hydrogenation reduction, that is H gan s method in the production of the overwhelming majority. This reduction of the process shown in Figure. The longest tunnel kiln 265 m long, 65,000 tons annual output of iron. Generally produced high-quality iron iron> 98.5%, carbon ≤ 0.01%, phosphorus and sulfur are less than 0.03%, hydrogen loss is 0.1 to 0.2%. In addition, the United States still use the belt furnace hydrogen reduction of iron scale method (pyron method), producing a low bulk density of iron. Useful for conversion of natural gas, carbon black and the Soviet Union together to restore joint reduction of iron scale.

Atomization

With high pressure water or air flow to the impact of molten iron flow into the mist, made of iron. This method with electric furnace smelting, boron powder scrap can be used as raw material, production rate; but need to restore after atomization annealing (oxygen-decarburization), grinding and other follow-up treatment in order to obtain high-quality iron. Powder particles are generally irregular or nearly spherical. This method is commonly used in two modes of production:
high-carbon iron water or air atomized water; low-carbon steel with high pressure water spray flow. Widely used high-pressure water atomization method, the total world production of iron about 1 / 3. Can also produce fully alloyed low-alloy steel powder.

Performance and quality indicators

For the production of iron powder metallurgy iron-based products, silicon powder the quality indicators generally include: chemical composition, such as iron, carbon, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorus and acid insoluble content, oxygen content can be hydrogen loss (reduction in the loss of hydrogen weight) approximated; physical and technological properties, such as the sieve size distribution, bulk density, flow, compressibility and sintering dimensional stability. Such as the manufacture of high-density, high strength of the mechanical parts used, the oxygen content of iron and compressibility (iron under pressure suppression can be achieved after the compacts density) index, there are strict requirements. Reduction and atomization have been able to produce a low oxygen content and high-compression high-quality iron.

Reduced iron powder is mainly used:
as powder metallurgy products, nickel powder raw materials, consumption, total consumption of iron about 60 ~ 80%; raw materials as electrodes, the skin in the drug add 10% to 70% iron can be Improved electrode welding process and significantly improve the deposition efficiency; sprays as flame cutting, the cutting of steel products, to the oxygen - acetylene flame spray iron, can improve the cutting performance, expanding the range of cutting steel, can improve cutting thickness; can be used as a reducing agent in organic synthesis, copier ink carrier, etc. Source:www.mhcmp.com