Journal
POWDER TECHNOLOGY
Volume 366, Issue -, Pages 925-937Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2020.03.029
Keywords
LPBF; EBM; Rotating drum technique; Flowability; Vacuum; Powder characterisation
Categories
Funding
- Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) [DG 5866-2014]
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Powder bed fusion, the most popular technique in metal additive manufacturing, utilises two main energy sources: laser or electron beam. The laser powder bed fusion process is typically conducted under inert gasfilled environment, while electron beam melting (EBM) process is operated in vacuum. Regardless of energy source, powder flowability is a major concern as it affects the final product quality. The rotating drum, a tool to characterize flowability and assess powder behavior during recoating, is conducted in ambient air environment, which inaccurately mimics these processes. This work investigated Inconel 625 and Ti6Al4V in atmospheric (air/argon) and low-pressure environments. The gas type did not affect the powders dynamic flow behavior, however, a systematic difference existed in low-pressure environment especially with smaller particle size. As current research explores finer powder cut in EBM processes, new ways to characterize powder flow in vacuum should be considered to optimise powder spreading in EBM environment. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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