Laser spheroidization combined with coaxial powder feeding: A novel strategy for preparing spherical powders for additive manufacturing
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Spherical powders are essential for ensuring the quality of parts produced via additive manufacturing (AM). However, powders prepared using traditional methods often suffer from wide particle size distributions , high impurity content , and poor sphericity , which hinder the advancement of AM. This study presents a novel laser spheroidization technique combined with coaxial powder feeding to produce high-quality spherical powders for AM. The spheroidization process was analyzed through multi-source observations and theoretical calculations. The effects of laser spot diameter , powder feed rate , and carrier gas flow on the powder spheroidization ratio were investigated. Using response surface methodology (RSM), the optimal processing parameters were determined as 8.35 mm, 2.0 g/min, and 2.0 L/min, respectively. Under these conditions, the spheroidization ratio of iron powder exceeded 96 %, with a sphericity close to 100 %. The spheroidized powder also exhibited excellent properties, including a narrow particle size distribution, absence of internal porosity defects, and high powder purity. The flowability of the iron powder improved significantly, from 31.4 s/50 g to 12.6 s/50 g. Moreover, this method is not limited to specific materials and is also effective for spheroidizing other powders, including dendritic nickel, reactive titanium alloy , and refractory tungsten carbide . This work offers an approach for fabricating high-quality spherical powders, providing innovative solutions to the challenges associated with traditional manufacturing methods.
Institution: Sichuan University
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,520
OpenAlex ID: W4407138234