Additive manufacturing

New powders for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM), often termed 3D printing of metals, is emerging as a new paradigm in the fabrication of metallic parts. Vast efforts are being made worldwide to explore further applications of this technology in all industrial sectors.

The Physical Metallurgy group at IMDEA Materials Institute has launched a new research line on the design of new alloys for AM. An end-to-end materials´ design lab, including ingot casting, gas atomization of powders (Fig. 1), selective laser melting and top-notch characterization facilities has been put in place. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop new alloys that are specifically targeted for additive manufacturing and which exhibit unique properties beyond reach in conventionally fabricated metals.

Fig. 1 (Left) Gas atomizer unit available at IMDEA Materials; (Right) Mg powder particles (diameter = 100 micron).

The Physical Metallurgy group is currently partnering other international institutions in several EU-funded consortia aimed at optimizing additive manufacturing processes for the aerospace and biomedical sectors.