The article discusses the possibilities of preparing high-quality powder materials from heat-resistant light alloys based on refractory monoaluminides of nickel β-NiAl and ruthenium β-RuAl for the manufacture of compact samples/products of complex shape using additive technologies with minimal final machining. Additive technologies are based on the use of spherical precursor micro-powders with a regulated granulometric composition, good fluidity and an oxide-free surface. The possibilities of obtaining precursors from RuAl-based alloys by plasma spheroidization of powders obtained by crushing mixtures from scrap samples of alloys based on RuAl with various additives are considered.

A method for obtaining nanopowder microgranules of the W – Ni – Fe system (composition of the VNJ-90) of a micron size range by spray drying of a suspension based on composite nanoparticles obtained by plasma chemical synthesis is considered. The parameters of operation of the Buchi Mini Spray Dryer B-290 spray drying laboratory unit with an ultrasonic nozzle have been experimentally determined, providing for the production of nanopowder microgranules of VNJ-90 with an output of the target fraction of 25 – 63 µm at the level of 65 %. The dependence of the size and morphology of the obtained granules on the choice of the dispersion medium, the concentration of the dispersed phase and the organic binder in the suspension is established. The effect of the suspension flow rate during spray drying on the yield of granules of a fraction of 25 – 63 µm was evaluated. The test of the manufactured experimental sample of nanopowder microgranules in the process of plasma spheroidization was carried out.

A method for producing tungsten powder consisting of spherical microparticles with dimensions of 20 – 50 µm is considered when processing a granular tungsten nanopowder in a flow of argon electric arc thermal plasma. Experimental studies of plasma chemical synthesis of tungsten nanopowder in a plasma reactor with a limited jet flow during the interaction of tungsten trioxide with a flow of hydrogen-containing plasma generated in an electric arc plasma torch have been carried out. The conditions of spray drying and the properties of a suspension consisting of tungsten nanoparticles have been experimentally determined, ensuring the production of mechanically strong nanopowder microgranules of rounded shape with a homogeneous internal nanostructure that does not contain cavities, with the yield of microgranules with a size of less than 60 µm at the level of 65 %. The influence of the parameters of the plasma processing of nanopowder microgranules in the thermal plasma flow on the degree of spheroidization and the microstructure of the resulting particles has been established.

The possibility to obtain composite micropowders of the W−Cu system with spherical particles having sub-microscale/nanoscale internal structure was confirmed and studied using the complex multistage approach. Composite W−Cu nanoparticles with core–shell structure (W cores and Cu shells) were produced in plasmochemical synthesis in the first stage. Further spray-drying of the aqueous suspension of the W−Cu nanopowder with sucrose enabled the formation of 25−63 μm microgranules with a yield of 50%. The last step was the treatment of the nanopowder microgranules by a thermal plasma jet, which ensured the production of dense spherical W−Cu particles. The final powder had a spheroidization degree of 90%−95%, a bulk density of up to 8.1 g/cm3 and a flowability of 12 s/50 g. The contents of impurities in the resulting spherical micropowder were 0.7 wt.% O, 0.02−0.2 wt.% C and 0.03−0.05 wt.% H.

The process of obtaining powders from the 5–50 μm fraction of a W-Ni-Fe system consisting of particles with predominantly spherical shapes was investigated. Experimental studies on the plasma–chemical synthesis of a nanopowder composed of WNiFe-90 were carried out in a plasma reactor with a confined jet flow. A mixture of tungsten trioxide, nickel oxide, and iron oxide powders interacted with a flow of hydrogen-containing plasma generated in an electric-arc plasma torch. The parameters of the spray-drying process and the composition of a suspension consisting of WNiFe-90 nanoparticles were determined, which provided mechanically strong nanopowder microgranules with a rounded shape and a homogeneous internal structure that contained no cavities. The yield of the granule fraction under 50 μm was 60%. The influence of the process parameters of the plasma treatment of the nanopowder microgranules in the thermal plasma flow on the degree of spheroidization and the microstructure of the obtained particles, seen as their bulk density and fluidity, was established. It was shown that the plasma spheroidization of the microgranules of the W-Ni-Fe system promoted the formation of a submicron internal structure in the obtained spherical particles, which were characterized by an average tungsten grain size of 0.7 μm.

The powder of 93 W – 4.9 Ni – 2.1 Fe (VNZh-93) pseudo-alloy with a spherical particle shape in the size range of 15 – 50 μm with a grain size of 0.5 – 3 μm was obtained using plasma chemical synthesis, granulation and spheroidization technologies. The possibility of using spheroidized powder VNZh-93 in additive 3D-printing is demonstrated. Studies of the physical and mechanical characteristics and microstructure of VNZh-93 test samples made using the selective laser melting technology (SLM) have been carried out. It is shown that the parameters of the SLM significantly affect the formation of the microstructure of test samples. It is possible to form a homogeneous equiaxed microstructure with an average grain size of about 1 micron using optimal SLM modes. It is shown that maximum density and Vickers hardness of VNZh-93 obtained in optimal SLM modes are 16.8 g/cm3 and 480 HV, respectively. These values are not inferior to the values for VNZh-93 samples obtained using traditional liquid-phase sintering technology. At the same time, the main problem of selective laser melting of VNZh-93 powder is the heterogeneity of the bulk samples microstructure and the formation of microcracks and micropores in their structure.

For the first time, a powder of W-5Ni-2Fe composition with spherical particles from 15 to 50 microns and a tungsten grain size from 0.5 to 3 microns was obtained using a new technological approach, developed by the authors, based on plasma spheroidization of powder granules made from nanoparticles synthesized in a plasma chemical process. The possibility of using the obtained spheroidized powder W-5Ni-2Fe in the process of selective laser melting (SLM) has been proved. The microstructure, physical, and mechanical characteristics of experimental samples made using SLM technology from the produced W-5Ni-2Fe powder have been studied. The results of the performed studies have shown that the microstructure of experimental samples is extremely dependent on the parameters of the SLM process. The precise choice of the SLM process mode made it possible to obtain a homogeneous structure of experimental samples of tungsten heavy alloy (WHA), with a tungsten grain size of about 1–2 microns, which is much smaller than the tungsten grain size in traditional heavy alloys. This creates prerequisites for increasing the strength characteristics of parts of complex shapes made by the SLM method from such powders. The maximum values of density and hardness of experimental samples obtained in the conducted studies are not worse than the values of samples obtained using traditional liquid-phase sintering technology. It is determined that the main problem of SLM powder W-5Ni-2Fe during investigation is the heterogeneity of the microstructure of massive samples and the formation of micropores and microcracks.

The structure and the thermophysical, mechanical, and tribological characteristics of bronzepowder-filled composite materials based on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene were studied. The composites were prepared by combined mechanical activation followed by compaction. Microscopic investigation showed that the flaky structure formed upon mechanical activation is inherited in bulk specimens where the bronze particles are oriented predominantly in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the pressure applied in compaction. Such an arrangement of the filler particles in the matrix has a considerable effect on both the thermophysical and mechanical properties of the composite. The concentration dependences of the strength characteristics of the composites upon stretching have the form of a curve with the peak at a filler content of 1–2 vol %. The magnitude of the modulus of elasticity increases steadily with increasing content of the filler. Analysis of the tribological behavior of the composites showed that the composites with a filler content of about 10 vol % exhibit the best antifriction properties.

Peculiarities of the technology to produce a composite material based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), mechanically activated with bronze powder are considered along with the properties of the produced material. Samples of the press-composition on the basis of UHMWPE with 0 up to 97.5% of the bronze powder addition were prepared by joint mechanoactivation of super-high-molecular polymer and the bronze powder using planetary mechanoactivator MPF-1 and toroidal vibration mechanoactivator MV-0.05. Packed density of the press-composition was analyzed as a function of the formula and the mechanoactivation technique used. Bulk samples for the tests were obtained by direct pressing. The properties of the samples were studied, and the relations between the density of the material, the physical and mechanical and thermal-physical properties and the concentration of the bronze powder in the material and the milling time were investigated.