Effect of process parameters on size distributions and micro-morphology of aluminum powders via vacuum gas atomization

Vacuum gas atomization is the most commonly used technique to produce powders for additive manufacturing (AM). It is widely recognized that powder particle size distribution and micro-morphology can severely degrade the stability of powders in additive manufacturing and cannot be completely avoided. This particular study used a self-developed facility to produce aluminum powders that were sorted into various particle sizes via vacuum atomization. The study delved into the impact of melt superheat, positions of the delivery tube, and pressure on the physical properties of the powders. The findings indicated that pressure had the most pronounced effect on the satellite sphere. When the pressure was set at 3 MPa, the proportion of non-adherent powder reached 71.5%, with a span of 1.99. In contrast, the study revealed the influence of delivery tube position on the outcome was considerably negligible.