The Boeing Company
System for increasing the bulk density of metal powder

Abstract:

An apparatus for increasing the bulk density of metal powder includes a sealed chamber, a nozzle, and a target. The sealed chamber has an inert environment. The nozzle is coupled to an inert gas source and is configured to introduce raw metal powder into a flow of the inert gas for discharge as a cold spray mixture of the raw metal powder and the inert gas into the sealed chamber. The target is housed within the sealed chamber and is configured to receive an impact of the cold spray mixture. The nozzle and the target are configured to flatten the raw metal particles into flattened metal particles in response to the cold spray mixture impacting the target.