off the interior of the vessel and the metal particles therein from the area adjacent the source of molten metal a source of atomizing gas flowing through the nozzle means into the vessel and means for removing depositions in the bore including a source of purging gas directable into the bore application_number US 41351282 A description referring now to the drawings fig1 illustrates schematically the apparatus for producing and handling atomized metal powder from molten metal which may be provided from a molten metal crucible 10 or an ingot 12 which is charged to a holding melting furnace 20 connected via duct 22 to a reservoir 30 beneath containment vessel 40 one or more atomizing nozzles 32 are mounted to the bottom plate 46 of vessel 40 to provide communication with the molten metal in reservoir 30 the atomized metal produced in vessel 40 is swept out of vessel 40 through duct 88 to primary cyclone separator 90 which passes the coarse particles to powder tank 100 via conveyor 102 finer particles including fines are removed from the air stream in one or more secondary cyclone separators 92 from whence they may be passed to powder tank 100 or separately packaged the fines may be packaged separately or reblended with the coarser particles it should be noted in this regard that various classified particle streams emanating from separator 110 may also be blended together in any predetermined amounts or ratios the atomized powder preferably kept under an inert gas blanket after separation is classified at screening station 110 for packaging and distribution in various particle size ranges containment vessel 40 as shown in more detail in fig2 and 3 comprises an outer cylindrical shell 42 terminating at its lower end in a truncated cone 44 to which is mounted.