In the Winter 2021 issue of PM Review, the first instalment of the series ‘How to make metal powders’ is introduced by Joe Strauss and John Dunkley, two masters of metal powder atomisation. The overview provides some understanding of the general science and attributes of various atomisation methods. The overall influence of the melt properties on the resultant powder particle properties are presented, as well as the effect of the powder particle features on the bulk powder characteristics.

Metal powder production has seen a renewed interest of late. In large part, this is due to the growth of metal Additive Manufacturing. What was formerly a market very much dominated by a small number of specialist powder producers has seen the arrival of a diverse range of competitors all hoping to capitalise on the promised opportunities of metal powder-based part production.

However, making powders with the required characteristics, to the necessary standards – and doing it profitably – is not an easy task. The challenges and complexities of powder production will be explained as part of a four-part series in Powder Metallurgy Review.

To learn more, read ‘How to make metal powders. Part 1: An introduction to atomisation, process fundamentals and powder characteristics’ in PM Review, Winter 2021.

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