| Abstract Scope |
The quality of parts fabricated with additive manufacturing is often influenced by the flowability of the feedstock particles, which is often the result of many factors, including chemistry (e.g., material density, the presence of surface oxides), morphology (e.g., particle shape), and particle size distribution. This work investigates the relationship between powder characteristics and flow behavior of different powders by using three different flowability testing method (rheometry, avalanche, and funnel). Six powders of two compositions (stainless-steel and AlSi10Mg), made using two different methods (gas- and water-atomization), were investigated to rationalize the effect of powder chemistry and morphology on flow behavior. Often, different flowability metrics were found to statistically correlate with one another, providing similar information. Additionally, individual powder flowability metrics were often strongly correlated with one morphological feature, such as particle aspect ratio. Finally, some measurements exhibited strong sensitivity to powder composition and density. |