Characterization of Spherical Powders of Titanium and Other Alloys Produced By the Plasma Rotating Electrode Process (PREP)

Spherical powders produced by the PREP process have very low internal porosity, and are produced in a closely sized range of particle diameters, with the majority of particles being produced in the range of 50µm to 150µm.  Consumable electrodes provide a base material with controlled compositions for the PREP process.  The limited satellites and spherical structure contribute to a highly flowable powder. This paper will present the results of evaluation regarding the microstructure, soundness, morphology, and particle size distribution of spherical powders of PREP powders produced at TIMET Powder Metals.