New Breakthroughs and Application Progress in Alloy Powder Preparation Technology

In recent years, plasma chemical deposition and electric explosion (EEW) have become the core technologies for preparing high-purity alloy powders. EEW generates nanoparticles such as alumina and zirconium-based powders by electric explosion of metal wires in inert gas, and its specific surface area can reach 2-2.5 times that of traditional metal powders. Studies have shown that nano-aluminum powders prepared by EEW show high reactivity in propellants and excellent stability at critical temperatures. Plasma chemical deposition further optimizes the crystal structure of alumina and zirconium oxide nanopowders, significantly improving the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys, such as hardness and fatigue resistance.

Mechanical alloying (MA) combined with selective laser melting (SLM) technology provides a new idea for the microstructure regulation of nickel-based high-temperature alloys. SLM uses high-energy lasers to melt metal powders layer by layer to achieve grain refinement and equiaxed crystal transformation. For example, 7075 aluminum alloy has successfully suppressed columnar dendrite growth and cracks through nanoparticle modification, and its strength has increased by more than 30%. This technology can also be used for the densification of nickel-based alloys. By optimizing laser parameters, high-temperature components with low porosity and high toughness can be obtained.

The agglomeration problem of nanoparticles seriously restricts their application. Ultrasonic treatment of melt technology destroys the inter-particle forces through cavitation effect, so that nano-alumina is evenly dispersed in the aluminum alloy matrix, and the porosity is reduced by 50%. Surface modification technology further improves stability. For example, after slow passivation treatment, the nano-aluminum powder prepared by ion beam method has significantly reduced friction and electrostatic sensitivity, good compatibility with solid fuels, and increased combustion rate by 20%. In addition, the binder-assisted mechanical mixing technology realizes the in-situ reaction of nano-Ti/Zr powder in aluminum alloy without destroying the sphericity of the powder, promotes the formation of strengthening phases such as Al3Ti, and inhibits thermal cracking.

Alloy Powders Products List

• High-Temperature Alloy Powders
• Stainless Steel Powders
• Precision Alloy Powders
• High-Entropy Alloy Powders
• Other Alloy Powders

Progress and Application Scenarios of Key Materials

Nickel-aluminum alloy powder: Nano nickel-aluminum alloy powder with particle sizes ranging from 10-3000 nm produced through plasma arc evaporation maintains high purity levels and adjustable components which make it ideal for use in high-temperature applications including turbine blades. The material achieves a room temperature tensile strength of 1.2 GPa and shows significant improvement in oxidation resistance at high temperatures after SLM and aging treatments. Nano copper-based alloys including Cu-Ni demonstrate superior performance in CO₂ catalytic conversion of methanol with a 40% increase in conversion rate compared to traditional catalysts.

Iron-nickel alloy: The nano-nanoization process reduces the porosity of iron-nickel alloy while its thermal expansion coefficient of 1.5×10⁻⁶/℃ already low becomes even lower making it a perfect choice for semiconductor packaging. Powder metallurgy molding of nano iron-nickel powder results in a thermal expansion coefficient that matches silicon chips to minimize thermal stress damage. Nano nickel-iron alloy demonstrates superior performance in electromagnetic shielding applications because of its high magnetic permeability. The material achieves wave absorption attenuation of -30 dB within the frequency range of 1-18 GHz and serves as an effective solution for stealth coatings and magnetic fluid seals. Spark plasma sintering of nickel-iron composite powder mixed with carbon nanotubes results in a material with 18 GPa hardness and threefold improved wear resistance for high-frequency electronic applications.

Industry Application Cases of Alloy Powder

1. Energy and Electronics: AlN demonstrates ultra-high thermal conductivity of 380 W/(m·K) which makes it essential for semiconductor packaging and thermal management systems. Nano AlN powder created through carbon thermal reduction and solution combustion methods enhances ceramic substrate heat dissipation performance to satisfy 5G communication and high-power LED heat management standards.

Nano copper paste used in multilayer ceramic capacitor electrodes costs only one-fifth of silver paste pricing while offering conductivity levels similar to precious metals. Its application reaches flexible electronic devices and lithium battery electrodes which enhances electronic product miniaturization and cost efficiency.

2. Medical and Biotechnology: The potential of nano aluminum powder in drug delivery systems stems from its large specific surface area combined with its reactive nature. Targeting molecules can be used for surface modification to achieve precise drug delivery while nano aluminum-based materials in medical imaging research offer innovative approaches to tumor diagnostics.

3. Environmental protection and sustainable manufacturing: Nano iron-based powders display superior efficiency in degrading organic pollutants through the Fenton reaction as their catalytic performance exceeds that of micron-sized powders by more than threefold. Nano zero-valent iron transforms toxic hexavalent chromium into harmless trivalent chromium which advances green water treatment technology. Nano copper powder production through electrolysis benefits from minimal energy demands and low pollution output which supports sustainable development objectives.

Challenges and Future Trends

Technical Bottlenecks

Composite materials experience performance fluctuations because nano particles readily agglomerate. The carbon-aluminum ratio of AlN powder must be precisely controlled during carbon thermal reduction as impurity phase's form when this ratio deviates from the ideal value reducing thermal conductivity. The oxygen content in the grain boundaries of AlN ceramics influences their thermal conductivity while the sintering process for nano powders remains unclear regarding oxygen diffusion which requires further investigation through atomic-level characterization technology.

Future direction

Nano copper powder production efficiency rises above 30% when AI algorithms optimize reduction reaction parameters to control particle size and morphology precisely. Create AlN-graphene composite systems capable of high thermal conductivity together with electromagnetic shielding capabilities. Implement electrolysis and solution combustion technologies to minimize carbon emissions during nano-aluminum powder production.