Exploring the role and measurement of particle size and shape in metal additive manufacturing

Key properties of metal powders

contributed by Malvern Panalytical | 10/26/2021

Beyond chemistry, it is the physical characteristics of a metal powder, such as packing density and flowability, that determine AM performance. Powders that pack consistently with high density are associated with the production of consistent-quality components with fewer flaws, while good flowability enables the powder to spread evenly and smoothly across a bed to form a uniform layer with no air voids.

The size and shape of metal powder particles affect powder bed packing and flowability. In turn, these features impact the build quality and final properties of components manufactured using AM. As such, understanding and optimizing particle size and shape is critical to the success of powder-bed AM. Laser diffraction and automated image analysis are complementary tools that can be used to characterize and optimize metal powders for a range of powder-bed AM processes.

Log in or register to read this article in full and gain access to The Analytical Scientist’s entire content archive. It’s FREE!

Email*

Choose a password*

I have read and understand the Privacy Notice *

Stay up to date with our other newsletters and sponsors information, tailored specifically to the fields you are interested in

Receive communication from The Cannabis Scientist I want to stay up to date with the Mass Spectrometry field I want to stay up to date with the Spectroscopy field

When you click “Subscribe” we will email you a link, which you must click to verify the email address above and activate your subscription. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at [email protected].
If you wish to unsubscribe, you can update your preferences at any point.