Manufacturing industry is rapidly developing 3D technology. It has been dubbed “manufacturing technology of industrial revolution significance”. Models, molds and parts are manufactured in aerospace, automobile, motorcycle, home appliance, biomedical, and other fields. Computer 3D models are the basis of 3D printers. It is a software-layered discrete CNC forming systems. It uses hot melt nozzles, laser beams, etc. To make metal powders, ceramic powders, plastic, cellular tissue, sand etc. The material is then layered and bonded, before being superimposed on top to form a solid object. The raw materials used for 3D-printing are very special. They have to be liquefied (liquid), powdered (powder), silked (silk), recombined with each other after printing and have acceptable physical and chemical properties.<br />

3D-printing metal powder

3D Printing Metal Powder as a Metal Part The most important component of the 3D Printing Industry Chain is also the highest value. In the “2013 World 3D Printing Technology Industry Conference”, world-leading experts in the 3D print industry provided a clear description of 3D-printed metal powder. This refers to metal particles that are smaller than 1mm. The term includes a single metal, an alloy, or certain refractory powders with metallic properties. Materials that are currently 3D-printed metal powders include cobalt and chrome alloys as well as stainless steels, industrial steels, bronze alloys titanium alloys nickel-aluminum alloys. In addition to good plasticity requirements, 3D printed metal powders must meet fine powder size, narrow distribution of particle size, high sphericity as well as good fluidity, and high bulk density.

Metal powder preparation process

The powder preparation method is currently divided into several categories based on the process of preparation. These include a reduction, electrolysis, carbonyl degradation, grinding, and atomization. The powder produced from the reduction method, electrolysis method, and atomization method are widely used in the industry of powder metallurgy. Electrolysis and reduction are only applicable to elemental metals and are not suitable for alloy powder.<br />

Water atomization

In the production of atomized flour, water atomization can be a low-cost method. Water atomized in this way is inexpensive and easy to get, yet it has excellent atomization. The domestic water atomization technique is used primarily to make steel powder, carcass for diamond tools (for oil bearing), pre-alloyed technical powders, hard surface powders, and magnetic powders based on iron and nickel. The specific heat of water being much greater than the gas’s, the metal particles that are broken during atomization become irregular because they solidify too quickly. This affects the sphere of the powder. Due to the contact of water with powders, other metals or alloys have a high activity that reacts with water. This increases the oxygen in the powder. These problems limit water atomization’s use in the preparation metal powders of high sphericity with low oxygen contents.

Gas atomization

The main method of producing metal powders and alloys is gas atomization. Gas atomization works by breaking down a liquid metal stream to small droplets. Then, using a gas stream of high velocity, it solidifies the metal into powder. The powder’s high purity, low-oxygen content, controlled powder particle size, low cost, and high sphericity have made it the main direction of development for high performance and alloy powder preparation technologies.

Laminar atomization

Nanoval Germany etc. has proposed the Laminar atomization technique, which has improved conventional nozzles significantly. The process has a low gas usage, is economically beneficial, and can be used for large productions of most metal powders. The downsides are that the process is difficult to control, unstable and produces a small amount of metal powder.<br />
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Tech Co., Ltd. is a leading 3D metal powder manufacturer. We have over 12 years’ experience in the chemical product development and research. Contact us to send an inquiry if you are interested in high-quality 3D printed metal powder.<br />
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