Research Progress on the Preparation Technology of Spherical Alloy Powders for Laser Additive Manufacturing
Sen Zhang, Kuaikuai Guo, Yongquan Qing, Changsheng Liu
Abstract
Spherical powder materials are essential raw materials for manufacturing processes such as metal additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy. They possess characteristics that are key factors influencing the performance of additive manufacturing. This paper introduces the fundamental principles and characteristics of laser additive manufacturing technology and analyzes the technical principles, advantages, and disadvantages of three alloy powder preparation methods: gas atomization, centrifugal atomization, and plasma atomization. It further elucidates the influence of process parameters of these three powder preparation techniques on the characteristics of alloy powders. Finally, the development trends in alloy powder preparation for laser additive manufacturing are projected.