Numerical simulation and prediction of radio frequency inductively coupled plasma spheroidization

An inductively coupled radio frequency (RF) plasma system was employed to produce spherical TiAl based alloy powders, and the spheroidization process was investigated by means of numerical simulation. Based on the coupled simulation of electromagnetic and thermal fluid fields, the plasma system model was developed and applied to calculate the motion trajectories and the temperature variation of injected particles, which provides the evidence for judging the physical state of individual particle after passing through plasma system. For the fed TiAl alloy powders with different granulometric characteristics, the collection rate, the spheroidization rate and the size distribution curves of the spheroidized powders can be predicted by statistical analysis. The results show that the predictions are close to the experimental data, indicating the numerical simulations of both plasma system and particle behaviors during the spheroidization process are reliable. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.