METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NICKEL POWDER

Abstract

1. An improved method for producing fine nickel powder having a substantially spherical form and size ranging from about 3 microns to about 7 microns, containing sulphur within a critical range of about 0.02% to about 0.05%, and possessing an improved degree of smoothness and susceptibility for the production of sintered nickel articles of controlled porosity and uniformly good mechanical properties and for uniform sintering at lower sintering temperatures and in shorter sintering periods than when conventional particles of carbonyl decomposed nickel powders are used which comprises vaporizing about one hundred parts per hour of liquid nickel carbonyl into a decomposition vessel having an internal pressure equal to about eight inches of water (gauge), simultaneously introducing about twenty parts of hydrogen sulphide gas per hour at a pressure of about one-half inch of water (gauge) into said vessel, and thermally decomposing the mixture of nickel carbonyl vapor and hydrogen sulphide gas at a temperature of about 280° C. to about 310° C. to produce said fine nickel powder containing said sulphur within said critical range. 3. As a new article of manufacture, an improved carbonyl decomposed nickel powder possessing an improved degree of smoothness and susceptibility for the production of sintered nickel articles of controlled porosity and uniform good mechanical properties and for sintering at lower sintering temperatures and in shorter sintering periods than when conventional sulphur-free particles of carbonyl decomposed nickel powder are used, said powder constituted of finely divided particles having a substantially spherical form and a size within a range of about 3 microns to about 7 microns and containing a small amount of sulphur within a range of about 0.004% to about 0.1%.

Source: Google Patents

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