Quiz: Metal Powder Craters

MaterialsMonday quiz for the MetalAM community 🤔 Have you ever seen such craters in metal powder and can you guess the cause ❓

In preparation for the last milestone meeting of our ReAddi research project, we made an astonishing discovery with frequently used 316L metal powder "refurbished" by Indutherm via their AC1000 air classifier and analyzed via SEM at wbk Institut für Produktionstechnik, KIT. No particles with these craters were found in the unused powder batch.

We have made some theories in internal discussions and also found a possible cause. Can you guess it or do you have another theory ❓

🤔 Craters from high-speed particle on particle collisions during the LPBF process
🤔 Oxides in the "spatter" powder
🤔 "Frozen waves" during particle surface remelting and solidification
🤔 Your own assumption in the comments 👇

More information about the ReAddi project (Intelligently controlled additive manufacturing process chain using simulative and experimentally determined component, material and process data): www.wbk.kit

The project partners of the ReAddi consortium:

PROTIQ GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH
Mercedes-Benz AG
EDAG Engineering GmbH
DMG Mori Additive
INTES Ingenieurgesellschaft für technische Software mbH
Heraeus Noblelight GmbH
Rosswag GmbH
Indutherm Gießtechnologie GmbH
QASS GmbH Qualität Automation Systeme Software
Simufact Engineering GmbH
USU Software AG
LPT
DMRC
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), wbk Institut für Produktionstechnik

Further information:

Your material is not yet qualified for Metal AM? Get a free qualification worth €50,000+ on AddiMap: www.addimap.com
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