Polymeric Powders for Powder Bed Fusion: From Chemistry and Powder Characteristics to Process Parameters, Defects and...

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) is sensitive to powder chemistry and state, but studies often isolate these factors.
• A unified framework is needed to link powder characteristics to processing outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize literature using a powder-centered framework for polymer PBF.
• To connect polymer chemistry and production history to powder descriptors, processing, defects, and applications.

Main Methods:

• Literature synthesis using a powder-centered framework.
• Identification and analysis of key powder descriptors (crystallinity, particle size, morphology, etc.).
• Relating powder properties to environmental sensitivities and processing behaviors (spreading, sintering).

Main Results:

• Key descriptors like crystallinity, particle size distribution, and surface texture influence PBF outcomes.
• Environmental factors (moisture, temperature) and powder lifecycle (ageing, reuse) impact performance.
• Powder flowability, packing density, and melt dynamics govern defect formation (porosity, distortion).

Conclusions:

• A powder-centered approach clarifies the relationship between powder state and polymer PBF process control.
• This framework aids in achieving repeatable qualification targets for predictable manufacturing.
• It facilitates the transferability of polymer PBF processes and applications.