Production of Ti Alloy Powder with Low Oxgen Content by Levitation Melting and Gas Atomization

It is difficult to produce gas-atomized Ti alloy powders with low oxygen content by using refractory crucible because of high activity of Ti with oxygen. Levitation melting with water-cooled crucible is promising method to obtain Ti alloy with low oxygen content. We have newly developed a gas atomization apparatus in combination with levitation melting furnace to produce Ti alloy powder with low oxygen. Ti-6Al-4V atomized powder with low oxygen was successfully produced by using the new apparatus; the oxygen content of the powder (0.06 mass%) was 7 ∼ 60 times lower than that of the powders atomized by using refractory crucibles.