A Comparative Study on Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Differently Atomized 316L Stainless Steel

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing Technologies
• Powder Metallurgy

Background:

• Growing demand for fine metallic powders (<100 µm) in Additive Manufacturing (AM).
• Traditional gas atomization is the primary method for producing affordable AM powders.
• Emergence of ultrasonic atomization (UA) as a novel alternative powder production technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare AISI 316L steel powders produced by Ultrasonic Atomization (UA) and Plasma Arc Gas Atomization (PAGA).
• To evaluate the suitability of UA-produced powders for AM applications.
• To assess the mechanical and microstructural properties of AM parts made from both powder types.

Main Methods:

• Production of AISI 316L steel powders via UA and PAGA.
• Characterization of powders: particle size distribution, chemical composition, density, and flowability.
• Additive Manufacturing of test samples, followed by microstructural analysis (porosity, hardness), tensile testing (with Digital Image Correlation), and Charpy impact tests.

Main Results:

• Detailed comparison of powder characteristics from UA and PAGA methods.
• Analysis of microstructural features, porosity, and hardness in AM parts.
• Evaluation of mechanical performance, including tensile strength and impact toughness.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary research indicates that both UA and PAGA can produce AISI 316L steel powders with similar properties.
• Additive Manufacturing parts fabricated from both powder types demonstrate comparable characteristics.
• Ultrasonic atomization presents a viable alternative for producing high-quality metallic powders for AM.