Researchers discus importance of effective powder recycling strategies in Additive Manufacturing
Researchers from the University of Udine, Italy, and Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan, published a paper focused on the re-use of metals in Additive Manufacturing in Metals magazine. In the paper, ‘The Challenges and Advances in Recycling/Re-Using Powder for Metal 3D Printing: A Comprehensive Review’, Alex Lanzutti and Elia Marin explore the critical role of powder quality in metal Additive Manufacturing and the importance of effective powder recycling strategies.
The work covers various metal AM technologies, including Laser and Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB and PBF-EB, respectively), Directed Energy Deposition (DED), and Binder Jetting (BJT) and analyses the impact of powder characteristics on final part properties.
While powder recycling offers a solution which reduces costs and acts as an environmental benefit, the authors state that achieving high-quality parts from these powders can prove challenging as they undergo modifications in chemical composition, morphology, microstructure and size distribution. These changes can impact the flowability and density of the powder, thus impacting surface quality and mechanical properties of resultant parts.
Despite these concerns, however, there are several strategies which may prove promising for improving the quality of parts additively manufactured from recycled powders. These include the use of pre-treatment techniques (eg plasma or laser cleaning), optimising Additive Manufacturing process parameters for recycled powders, and a robust traceability system to ensure consistent quality and safety.
The paper concludes that further research is required to fulfil the potential of metal powder recycling. The researchers suggest that the use of advanced powder characterisation techniques, novel powder blending, and the development of closed-loop powder recycling systems may further the use of recycled powders in Additive Manufacturing.
The full paper is available here.
