Abstract: The gas atomization is the process that a liquid mass is disintegrated into a collection of liquid melt droplets by the impact of high velocity gas stream and solidified into metal particles. However, the liquid melt sheet breaking mechanism has not been fully understood. So the experimental research was carried out under the condition of lower melt superheat. The results reveal that there are three approaches about melt metal sheet’s breakage: from the edges of sheets, from inner surface of sheets, and disrupted by other droplets and sheets. The approach of melt sheet breakage is dependent on its thickness. The thicker sheets (above 25μm) are disintegrated mainly by the way of droplet’s departing from edges, and the thinner sheets (below 10μm) are chiefly breaking from the inner surface.

Key words: atomization; close-coupled nozzle; powder; flow structure