Minimising Waste and Maximising Quality in the Inert Gas Atomisation of
High Temperature Alloys for Powder Metallurgy and Additive Layer
Manufacturing Applications
In association with: Tata Steel and Atomising Systems Limited
Supervisors: Dr Greg Gibbons (WMG), Dr John Dunkley (Atomising Systems Limited)
Project Overview:
Spherical metal powders are utilised in a number of manufacturing processes, including powder
metallurgy methods such as CIP, HIP, and there is an ever increasing demand for high quality
powders for the metal Additive Layer Manufacturing sector.
Inert Gas Atomisation is the current state of the art manufacturing process for such powders,
but inhomogeneities can cause widening of the particle size distribution, resulting in poor
powder yield and variable powder quality. Fluctuations in powder quality can cause downstream
problems during the component production route speed and quality.
The PhD project will analyse recognised non-steady-state phenomena in the production of
spherical powder metals to establish their root cause, develop analysis techniques to model
them and identify methodologies to minimise their occurrence.
The project will analyse the effects across a range of materials and a cross section of production
parameters to identify commonalities and root causes. The project will attempt to model these
phenomena and develop techniques to minimise their effect within the models. Practical testing
will be completed in facilities at Atomising Systems Limited. Tata Steel will supply a range of
materials for the project to evaluate the commonality of the phenomena across different
metallurgies. WMG will provide advanced metal Additive Layer Manufacturing technologies for
validation of the powder in a highly sensitive advanced manufacturing process.
In more general terms, there will also be opportunities for significant learning regarding:
 powder production techniques and their integration into the Tata Steel Stocksbridge
Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM)/Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) (high grade secondary
steel making facilities primarily used in high temperature alloy development for the
aerospace sector), metal Additive Layer Manufacturing technologies, analytical
techniques for metals analysis.
 the application of Tata Steel products as powders in the automotive, aerospace and
energy & power sectors.
It is envisaged that in addition to work at the University, the student will spend a proportion of
his/her time working at ASL, where there will be direct daily interaction with technical staff and
access to technical advice and guidance on relevant aspects of the project.
Background:
The PhD project will link with the TSB ‘Making it Lighter With Less’ recently UK Government
funded research project 'Series Production of Lightweight Parts by Isostatic Pressing of Metal
Powders to Give Material and Energy Reduction (SLIMMER)', which is expected to start in Q2
2015. Tata Steel are leading partners of this programme, in support of Jaguar Land Rover,
Airbus, Rolls Royce and Alstom, to help develop powder metal solutions for components across
the automotive, aerospace and energy and power sectors. The project will align strongly with
the ambition of Tata Steel to enter the Powder Metals market and allows evaluation of both
production processes and supply chain partnerships with Atomising Systems Limited.
CASE Awards Available: 1
Funding Details: EPSRC stipend of approx £16K and industrial top up (up to £3k) depending on
applicant.
Length of Award: 3.5 years
Eligibility: Applicants must be UK residents and should have a 1st class or 2.1 degree in a
relevant science or engineering subject such as materials, physics, mechanical engineering, or
maths.
Application Details:
Please complete our online enquiry form