Compaction effects on the thermal properties of stainless steel 316L powders in 3D printing processes

This study investigates the impact of compaction on the effective thermal conductivity of stainless steel 316L powder, a critical factor in the powder bed fusion process of additive manufacturing. Utilizing a combination of experimental setups and theoretical models, we examine the thermal behavior of stainless steel 316L under varying degrees of compaction. The experiments employed a tubular furnace to simulate sintering temperatures, with thermal conductivity measured across a range of compaction levels. Results were analyzed against established analytical models, including the Bruggeman equation, to correlate the empirical data with theoretical expectations. The study demonstrates a clear relationship between powder compaction and improved thermal conductivity, highlighting the potential for optimizing additive manufacturing processes through controlled compaction techniques. Our findings reveal that compacted powder samples exhibit significantly enhanced thermal conductivity compared to non-compacted counterparts.