Processing parameters in the ball milling of niobium hydride: An optimization approach

Abstract

Due to its particular properties, niobium has been widely used in the industry. In order to produce niobium-base parts, itspowder can be obtained through a powder metallurgy’s method called ball milling. In this article, the ball millingparameters, in the production of niobium’s powder,have been optimized using the Taguchi’s method in order to obtain ahigh yield in the process, considering a particle size smaller than 75 m. Taguchi’s method, among several experimentaldesigns, has been chosen due to its simplicity, efficiency and systematic approach to determine the optimal parameters in amanufacturing process. The experimental results have been indicated that the milling speed and time are the main variablesin the process. In addition, the morphology of niobium hydride particles with the lowest and highest yield has been analyzedthrough the electron microscopy’s scanner.