Correlation of Spray Ring Data for Gas
Atomization of Liquid Metals
by H. Lubanska
A comparison has been made between the atomiza-
ti on characteristics of severaL Liquid metaLs, gas-
atomized by spray rings of various design. An ap-
proximate correlating equation is deduced for the
particle mass median diameter, based on the avail-
able data from iron atomization triaLs and model
experiments using tin and low melting point alloys.
NOMENCLATURE
A-mass flow rate of gas
D-diameter of liquid stream
M-mass flow rate of liquid (metal)
V-velocity of gas at impact with liquid stream
Xm-mass median particle diameter or geometrie
me an diameter
p-density of liquid
y-surface tension of liquids
(Tg-geometric standard deviation
V 2D
W- p - - , the Weber number
y
vm , Vg , Kinematic viscosity of liquid, gas respectively.
INTRODUCTION
The drop-size distribution of atomized liquids is of
interest in many fields. Much research has been car-
ried out on various atomizer designs for spraying
aqueous liquids, fuels and paints. However, only com-
paratively recently has there been an interest in the
atomization of molten met als in connection with the
production of metal powders in particular. For reasons
related to control and production efficiency in this
field of powder metallurgy, a knowledge of particle
size distribution is of importance. The factors govern-
ing the mean particle size of the atomized metals and,
in particular, the deviation ab out this mean are then
of special concern.
In the course of research on the gas-atomization of
molten met al streams, model work is being carried
out using low-melting point metal alloys and tin to
simulate the metal stream, with compressed air to
H. LUBANSKA is associated with The Inter-Group Laboratories of the
British Steel Corporation, London, England.
represent the atomizing gas. In order that the results
derived from such investigations may be applied
generally to metallurgical problems, some correlation
of the atomization of different metals is required. In
the present report a preliminary attempt is made to
correlate the limited information to hand.
RELATED LITERATURE AND THEORY
A great deal of research has been concerned with
the atomization of aqueous fluids and oils (Fraser,
1956 and Gretzinger, 1961) .1,2 Several empirie al
formulae have been derived for specific types of gas
atomizers. Very little, however, is to be found on the
subject of liquids with physical properties differing
to any great extent from those of water. The influence
of the surface tension and density of liquid metals has
been hardly explored. Wetzel (1951)" carried out a
limited investigation on molten wax and a metal
alloy of low melting point in the case of a venturi
atomizer. He did not succeed in obtaining a correlat-
ing formula for the two liquids.
Nukiyama (1938)' derived an equation for a specific
design of converging pneumatic atomizer. The equa-
tion is widely quoted and contains the fluid properties
mentioned above and a viscosity term, hut is only
claimed to hold within the range of the physical prop-
er ti es of oils and aqueous liquids. The mass mean
particle diameter, d, in micrometers is given by
d = --
585 -. /'i
V - + 597
[ -/k ]0.4" ( 1000 Qr. )'-"
V p Y QA
where V = relative velocity in rn/sec of gas to liquid
stream
y = surface tension of liquid, dynes/cm
p = density of liquid, gm/ce
/L = viscosity of liquid, poise
Qc., QA = volume flow rates of liquid, air respectively.
It may be noted that for ratios of QA/QL ): 5000, the
second term of the righthand side of the equation
contributes little to the predicted drop-size in the case
of inviscid fluids. This relationship has not been found
FEBRUARY 1970, JOURNAL OF METALS-45

Fig. l-Model spray ring of four nozzles atomizing tin from V4 in.
diameter orifice.
to hold for atomizer designs differing essentially from
the original design. Wigg (1964)' found the mass flow
ratio, liquid to gas, and the kinematie viseosity of the
liquid important faetors in aseries of wax atomiza-
tion experiments for fuel atomizers of specifie design.
SPRAY RING ATOMIZATION AND METHOD
OF SPRAY ANALYSIS
The present study is partieularly coneerned with the
disintegration of molten metal streams by means of
gas spray rings. The atomizing spray ring investigated
eonsisted of a ring of diserete gas nozzles symmetri-
eally surrounding the axis of a vertical liquid stream
falling under gravity. The gas nozzles were set in a
manifold ring and directed towards a unique point
on the stream axis, operating under identical condi-
tions of pressure and individual fiow rates, to ensure
a relatively homogeneous atomized spray suitable for
convenient eollection.
A model spray ring in operation is shown in Fig. 1.
A number of separate gas tub es are eonneeted by
rubber hose to a eommon manifold to permit varia-
tion of design factors. Low melting-point metal alloys
and tin were atomized by compressed air jets at
various pressures, the metal droplets falling into
water to eomplete their solidifieation and prevent
agglomeration. The dried atomized particles were
46-JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 1970
sieved and weighed for size distribution analysis.
A similar method was used for an iron pilot plant,
in whieh ir on streams were atomized by a nitrogen
spray ring.
DROP SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN SPRAY
RING ATOMIZATION
Gas spray-ring atomizing of liquid metal streams
issuing from round nozzles has been found to produee
a wide range of drop size. The distribution of drop
size, wh ether assessed on a number or weight basis,
was invariably asymmetrie al. For the purpose of
deseribing the particle size distribution in such large
seale sprays, the most practieal approach is the
weight basis. Analysis of the weighed sieve fraetions
in the iron and model tests indieated distributions
closely following a log-normal pattern. Straight line
graphs were obtained when the cumulative weight
oversize pereentages were plotted on log-probability
paper. Some typical runs are plotted in this way in
Fig. 2. The Davies* test for logarithmie distribution
was also deeisive.
Two characteristics are required to deseribe fully
such particle distributions, a mean drop size and a
measure of deviation. In the ease of log-normal dis-
tribution, these values are very easily derived from
the line eumulative graphs of the type shown in
Fig. 2. The 50% value of particle diameter gives the
geometrie mean diameter (in this case equal to the
mass median diameter). The appropriate measure
of deviation is the geometrie standard deviation, ob-
tained by dividing the 50% value of the particle
variate by the 84 % value on the same % eumulative
oversize eurve (or alternately the 16% value by the
50 % value). The eumulative graphs are more easily
obtained than regular histograms in the ease of sieved
data from a wide range of irregular sieve sizes. Also
the straight line relationship rectifies minor experi-
mental errors.
The standard deviation gives an estimate of the
spread of particle size about the mean value, and is
of eonsiderable importance for metal powder pro-
duetion. However, a plot of geometrie standard devia-
tion, er" versus the geometrie mean diameter, (or mass
median diameter), Xm, for the material under investi-
gation suggested some relationship between the two
faetors (Fig. 3), whieh appeared to follow a eubie
form, viz. Xm ~ 13 er:. Henee, for the immediate pur-
pose of a general eorrelation of atomization charaeter
the single faetor of the mass median diameter has
been taken.
APPLICATION OF PREVIOUS WORK TO THE
PRESENT STUDY
The Nukiyama equation
If the seeond term of the Nukiyama formula is
negleeted for the range of flow and inviseid fluids
under eonsideration, the ratio 2-
V
V Y will be seen
p
to constitute the governing parameter. V is the rela-
• Journal of the American Statistical Association, 1929, p. 341.
tive velocity of the gas to the liquid stream, and may for the waxes gave the mass median diameter,
be considered cosntant for a particular atomizer,
operating under the same conditions of gas pressure
and liquid throughput. The ratio is clearly related
to the Weber number,
V'D This is partly based on the results of aseries of ex-
W=p--
y periments carried out by Clare (1954r, whose tests
covered a wide range of mass flow rates of liquid to air
which is a weIl known dimensionless number in
and a considerable range of liquid viscosity. In spite
studies of liquid break-up phenomena, representing
of the very specific design of atomizer studied in these
the ratio of the fluid inertial forces to the interfacial
tension (Miesse, 1955)." experiments, the factor ( 1 + ~) and the viscosity

Results of other workers term, P, might be expected to have a general applica-

Wigg (1964)" obtained a correlation for waxes of tion for other fluids than wax and for different
various viscosities over a range of mass flow ratio atomizer design. They appeal' in the final correlation
by the method of dimensional analysis. It is to be derived for the present iron and model data.
noted that he failed to achieve a direct correlation There did not seem evidence to suggest that the
between wax and water. He believed this was due other factors of the Wigg formula could have a gen-
to the coalescence of the water droplets. His formula eral application, since these had not been varied to

10.000 .-._--~---- ---~~~~~~~~~-,__~~___,_

Run No. G.MeonXm Standard 0-'9

Glam
Deviation
Iran S.I 265~ 1· 95
(!) 5 4600 6 B4
12 lBO 2 9
"
21
22
BOO
2450
2050
1 2
6 6
l' 07
27 185~ l· I
115 2· I
~IOOO 56 2 I
26 2 ·65
E

Fig. 2-Weight % cumulative oversize values C M2

in iron and model sprays.
d
"" 'b..., ....... ,

--"
---:::''0... .....
~ CPAtin
<1'
H 100

Probobillty
" ",
" 9999

100 .--~~~~~----------~~~~~~~~~~-------~---,

Iron stries +n n ~ Jet No.

Iron series X n- 3
~~~ s:~~: $ n-8
Iran powder steelln=4
trials {b
• Iron J
Model tests
A Tin
{ ... Metol olloy
• Tin fattorial series

.
Annulor type otomisers from literature
OAluminium'o OCopper 'OWox 7

Fig. 3-Variation of standard deviation with parti-

cle mean diameter.

Im PARTICLE MAS5 MEDIAN DIAMETER - GEOMETRIC MEAN, micrometrrs

FEBRUARY 1970, JOURNAL OF METALS--47

any significant extent. The fuel atomizers explored by investigation. The atomizing air issued from a central
Clare and Wigg were moreover of a very different pipe, while the liquid passed through an annular
nature from the spray ring atomization of the present nozzle. There was also a subsidiary slow stream of
air acting as an external shroud.
10' .~-----
A modification of Wigg's formula applied to the
Iran serie!> I +0 n :=jet No
Iran senes 2 X 0=3
iron and model spray data did not, in fact, give a
Iran single
test 1966 $ n .. 8 satisfactory correlation (Fig. 4). When the same data
was plotted in the form, Xrn/D against the simpler
Iran powder
trials. (~ Steel}n= 4

(1 + MA )
Iran

J.
lI.l.

~,
Model tests.

l: ~~t~~cai~~~,
Tin
dimensionless group, the correlation
serie!> W Vg
10 4 Annular type atomlsers fram literature
OAluminium lo 0 Copper 9 OWax 7 was evidently improved (Fig. 5). W is a Weber num-
ber, in which V has been taken as the gas jet velocity
x at the impact point, D the stream diameter, p the
X X liquid density, y the liquid surface tension. The
X kinematic viscosity ratio, vrnlv., of the liquid to the
Wigg line
1>200 N atomizing gas, was used to preserve the non-dimen-
sional form, and V g , the value of the gas viscosity at
N.T.P. is, in fact, a constant and does not contribute
to the correlation.

CORRELATION OF IRON TRIALS WITH MODEL

AND OTHER SPRAY DATA
In the light of the evidence from preliminary model
10'
results, all the iron plant data obtained from two
series of pilot trials, in which ir on was atomized by
nitrogen under a systematic variation of the relevant
variables, were used to study the variation of the
mass median particle diameters with the Weber
number,
100~'I-~-~~LL~U--~-L-LJ-LLU~_-L_L-~~-LU V 2D
10
MODIFi[~ 'w':GG NlIMBU\, N=IC 3 VO 51'1°- 1 (I +
lOt
t) 20 0 I y;
100
Wp=--
02
y
p g 03 V [eG S UNIIS]

V is here the gas velocity at the impact of the gas

Fig. 4-Modified Wigg number correlation with liquid metal data. jets with the metal stream, derived from Anderson's
(1955) 8 curves for velocity decay in sonic jets. D is
1000 -_._----------
Iron se ries. t +n n .. jet N,o the metal nozzle diameter. The ratio ~ was plotted
Iran series 2 X n=3 D

/
Iran single
test 1966 $ n=8
initially against W, and some correlation was immedi-
ately apparent. However, improved correlation was
Iran powder
(".d:. St"l) n.4
l
triols Iran
Model ttsh
A Tin
obtained when account was taken of the mass flow
•
.. Meta! alloy
Tin factorial series
ratio, total liquid to gas flow, MI A, and the kinematic
100 Annulor type atomisers fram literature x viscosity of the metal vrn.
<> Aluminlum10 0 Copper9 0 "'ex' The data for the iron tests were finally plotted with
all appropriate model spray data in the dimensionless
Line equation form, xrn/D versus rP where
I m iD-50 [(I+~)~w]>
X

Some physical properties of iron and some model

liquids are given in the table. Two estimated points
from the literature for converging pneumatic atom-
izers operating on copper (Tamura 1963)", and
aluminum (Thompson 1948)" respectively are in-
1·0 cluded for comparison (Fig. 5). Over an extensive
range of median size the data appear to indicate a
simple relationship of the form

x...ID = K [ --
lJ", (
1 + -M ) ] "2
v, W A
oÜIOL.O-1-...L-----L----L-L.L.l..O.l...I.JOI--..l..--.l..-.l..-Ll....l...I.JO.J..I--.l.---L--L.J...Ju.J-UI.O where K is a constant to be determined for particular
Im/O
conditions of spray ring and liquid stream. The value
Fig. 5-Correlation of atomization data for liquid metals. of K is seen to vary between ab out 40 and 50 for the

48-JOURNAL OF METALS, FEBRUARY 1970

 Some liquid physical properties (S.I. Units)
oe Specific Gravity Surface Tension Absolute Viscosity Kinematic Viscosity
Metal mp bp (gm/mI) (mN/rn) (mNs/m2 ) (mm'/s)
------
Iron* (l600"C) 1527 3235 7.2 1200-1400 4.3 0.6
Lead 330 1717 10.7 400 2.0 0.2
Aluminum 660 2057 2.25 570 (2) (1)
Tin 232 2270 6.6 560 1.6 0.24
Zine 418 920 7.1 785 2.0 0.28
Lead Bismuth/ 75 1670 9.4 450 1.5 0.16

c
Tin Alloy
Copper 1083 2300 8.3 1150 4.2 0.5
( approx range)
Wax 40 370 0.83 23 40-20 ange
40-20 )
(Clare's material)

• The iron va lues are estimated for the pig iron used for the pilot plant trials, C - 4.2, Si _ 1.25, S = 0.012, P = 0.132, Mm 1.15. Refer-
ences for iron properties. P. Kozakevitch and G. Urbain, Rev. Met. 1963, 60 (Surface Tension).
H. Schenk et al. BISI 3248 "Measurements of the Viscosity of Molten Metals at High Temperatures"
Units (1) ImN/m = 1 dyne/cm
(2) lrnNs/m' = 1 centipoise
(3) Imm2 /s = 1 centistoke

wide variety of spray ring conditions investigated, CONCLUSIONS

with the metal stream diameter varied from 1/4 in.-
7/8 in. Clare's (1954) experiments on waxes are also
computed on the same basis and shown to be roughly
consistent within the expectation of experimental
error. An equivalent diameter = V 4 a was used for
11"
the stream diameter D, where a = liquid annulus
area.
It seems probable that the value of K may reflect
the influence of particle shape, where the distribution
analysis is derived from sieved weighings as in the
case of the data used in the present work. Again, the
stability and centricity of the metal stream have been
shown to affect the atomization characteristics con-
siderably. The model tests might be expected to sur-
pass the iron trials in this respect, and to show lower
mean drop diameters for the same operational condi-
tions. This was, in fact, the case for a factorial model
series carried out with tin, (Fig. 5). In high-melting
point metal practice consistent teeming is more diffi-
cult to achieve, since the pouring nozzles are suscepti-
ble to wear and to other surface defects. Particle
shape will be a function of the superheat and thermal
properties of the metal when the atomized drop lets
fall into water in the course of solidification. The
larger drops may be flattened on contact with the
water surface, the finer drops may take up ellipsoidal
or fiber forms. Under sieving conditions this means
that the finer part of the spray passes more readily
through the sieve mesh than equivalent spheres of
the same mass or volume, whereas for the coarser
part of the spray the plate-like particles have the
opposite effect. Hence, it will be observed that this
very convenient method for assessing the atomization
characteristics of large sprays has certain disad-
vantages, which should be borne in mind when com-
paring different materials. A collection method in
which the droplets were not deformed from the
spherical is much to be desired for precise size
analysis, and this problem is being studied.
Numerous empirical formulae for various mean
particle diameters have been derived by other work-
ers for different specific types of atomization, covering
a range of liquids within the aqueous and oi!
categories.
For the present purpose a broader correlation is
sought to include liquid met als of comparatively high
surface tensions and densities and a wide range of
design and operational factors.
It would be inappropriate to claim the derivation
of a precise general relationship for spray ring atom-
ization of liquid metals on the basis of the limited
experimental evidence so far available, particularly
in view of the wide scatter apparent in this type of
atomization, where liquid stream stability can
scarcely be assured. However, an initial plot of points
with basic flow parameters has shown an encouraging
degree of correlation, having regard to the consider-
able variations in spray ring design and operational
factors. For example, the number of gas nozzles was
varied from three to eight in both iron and model
metal trials, the gas jet angle to the horizontal be-
tween 65 ° and 78 o. The provisional non-dimensional
relationship derived for mass median particle diam-
eter is based on a simple Weber number-viscosity
parameter which takes into ac count the fundamental
operatives in the process of atomization.
REFERENCES
1 Fraser, R. R., et al.. "Atomisation of Liquid Sprays and Drop
Size Analysis", TraThSactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers,
Vol. 34, 1956, p. 293-319.
2 Gretzinger, J., and MarshalI, N. R., "Characteristics of Pneumatic
Atomisation", A.I.Ch.E. Journal, June 1961.
3 Wetzel, R. H., PhD Thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison Wis-
consin, 1951. '
• NUkiyama, S., and Tanasawa, Y., Reports 1-6, Transactions of the
Society of Mechanical Engineers (Japan), 1938-40.
5 Wigg, L. D., "Drop-Size Prediction for Twin-Fluid Atomisers"
Journal of the Institute of Fuel, Nov. 1964. '
6 Miesse, C. C., "C'orrelation of Experimental Data on the Disente-
gration of Liquid Jets", Ind. Eng. Chem., Vol. 47, No. 9, Sept. 1955.
7 Clare. H., and Radcliffe, A., "An Air Blast Atomiser for Use
with Viscous Fuels", Journal of the Institute of Fuel. Vol. 27, 1954,
p.510.
8 Anderson, A. R., and Johns, F. R., "Characteristics of Free Super-
sonie Jets Exhausting into quiescent Air". Jet Provulsion, Jan. 1955.
9 Tamura, K., "A Study on Production of Copper Powder by
Atomisation", Transactions N. R. I. fOT Metals, Vol. 5,1963.
10 Thompson. J. S., "A Study of Process Variables in the Pro-
duction of Aluminum Powder", Journal of the Institute of Metals,
Vol. 74, 1948, p. 101.
Acknowledgments
The author is indebted to Mr. H. Clare and Mr. L. D. Wigg of the
National Gas Turbine Establishment for access to original experi-
mental data on wax atomization.

FEBRUARY 1970, JOURNAL OF METALS-49