Characterization of Flow Properties of Gas‐Atomized Powder Alloys Used for Additive Manufacturing: Comparison between Traditional Methods and Vibrated Rheology

Abstract Powder‐based additive manufacturing is a fast‐growing technique in which complex parts with elaborate design can be obtained, saving time and costs. In order to achieve optimal processability, the powders used should have good flow properties. Quick and reproducible methods to measure the flowability of the employed alloy powders are needed to determine their behavior and the influence of parameters like particle size, shape, chemical composition, and surface state. Many techniques are available; however, their applicability is debatable. The results obtained by one technique frequently cannot be transposed to other techniques. Also, the correlation with the processing steps is often not clear. In this study, three flowability measuring methods, tapped density, FT4 Shear cell, and vibrating cell rheology, are used to measure the flowability of five different powders. The results demonstrate that their ability to flow is classified differently according to the test employed.