| abstract |
An aperture plate is formed from a palladium nickel alloy comprising about 89% palladium and about 11% nickel. There is a generally fine substantially equiaxed grain microstructure throughout the thickness of the aperture plate. The average grain width (W) is in the range of from 0.2 μm to 5.0 μm, in some cases from 0.2 μm to 2.0 μm. Because the grain structure is equiaxed (L/W=1) the grain length (L) is the same as the grain width. The improved aperture plate extends the life of nebulisers, eliminates the risk of premature and unpredictable failure of a nebuliser in service, eliminates the risk of product returns from hospitals and patients, and eliminates the possible risk of fragments of the aperture plate breaking free from the nebulizer. |