A novel approach of fabricating monodispersed spherical MoSiBTiC particles for additive manufacturing

It is very challenging to fabricate spherical refractory material powders for additive manufacturing (AM) because of their high melting points and complex compositions. In this study, a novel technique, freeze-dry pulsated orifice ejection method (FD-POEM), was developed to fabricate spherical MoSiBTiC particles without a melting process. Elemental nanopowders were dispersed in water to prepare a high-concentration slurry, which was subsequently extruded from an orifice by diaphragm vibration and frozen instantly in liquid nitrogen. After a freeze-drying process, spherical composite particles with arbitrary composition ratios were obtained. The FD-POEM particles had a narrow size range and uniform elemental distribution. Mesh structures were formed within the FD-POEM particles, which was attributed to the sublimation of ice crystals. Furthermore, owing to their spherical morphology, the FD-POEM particles had a low avalanche angle of 42.6 degrees, exhibiting good flowability. Consequently, the combination of FD-POEM and additive manufacturing has great potential for developing complex refractory components used in industrial applications.