Spherical Powder Materials Preparation Based on the Coupling of Laser Beam and Coaxial Powder Feeding

Ying Liu*

 Sichuan  University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

ABSTRACT: Material genetic engineering (MGE) combining the high-throughput computing, preparation, characterization and database technology together is aimed to improve the research and development efficiency of new materials, shorten the development time and reduce the cost by establishing the quantitative relationship between material composition, process, structure and performance. High throughput material preparation is an important aspect of MGE. At present, co-deposition method, multiple diffusion couples, array preparation method and gradient printing based on laser additive manufacturing have been developed. However, most of these technologies are suitable for bulk or thin film samples preparation. There are few reports on the high-throughput preparation technology of powder materials including the alloy and compound powder. In this paper, a new method and equipment for high-throughput preparation of powder materials based on the coupling of laser and coaxial powder feeding is reported. The principle of this method is that through coaxial powder feeding the raw powder with different compositions or contents are sent into the focus of the laser beam, then melt and cooled immediately, so the high-throughput preparation of spherical powder can be realized. Besides, the size and microstructure of spherical powder can be controlled by the action of high-speed airflow during cooling. The equipment consists of control, matrix batching, powder feeding, laser and cooling systems. The method breaks the disadvantages of traditional powder preparation technology, which needs to smelt raw materials and then atomize them. It integrates multi-function such as batching, mixing, smelting and forming, realizes the composition and process design quickly, shortens the development cycle and complete the high-throughput preparation of powder materials.

Keywords: Spherical powder; High-throughput preparation; Laser beam and coaxial powder feeding; Matrix batching

* Corresponding author: liuying5536@scu.edu.cn