Customization of Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing Applications by Inductively-Coupled Plasma

Metal-based additive manufacturing (AM) technologies require satellite-free powders having a spherical shape, with a high packing density, a specific particles size distribution, high flowability, and non-porous internal structures.

The current portfolio of commercially available powders that respect these criteria is known to be limited. However, it illustrates an interesting opportunity for research and development. The traditional route for metallic powder development requires expensive and complex processes such as the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP), water and gas atomization and the hydride dehydride process, to name only a few.

One innovative approach offers the possibility of transforming a commercial powder, which does not respect the stringent specifications of AM, into a high-performance, spherical powder. This process is known as inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) spheroidization. This presentation describes the ICP Spheroidization Process, developed by Tekna Plasma Systems, and compares the properties of spray dried, reduced, crushed, sponge and atomised powders before and after plasma processing. Case studies are presented.

Biography:
Jean-François Carrier is a chemical engineer by training. He has done both his undergraduate and graduate studies (M.A.Sc.) at the University of Sherbrooke. His graduate work was the study of catalysts in the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) by the means of inductively- coupled plasma (i.e. a Tekna System) with Prof. Gervais Soucy. His research was done in the same laboratory where Tekna was born.

After his studies, he has joined Tekna as an application engineer. His main focus is powder metallurgy for additive manufacturing, nanoparticles for printed electronics (PE) and Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNT).

For further information please click link below:

http://mse.ucf.edu