Effect of reuse times on H13 powder properties processed by selective electron beam melting

The inconsistency of high material cost and powder properties are the primary barriers to widespread adoption of metal additive manufacturing. Obviously, powder reuse without affecting the properties of the parts can reduce the cost burden. In this study, the properties of H13 (4Cr5MoSiV1) powder were evaluated 16 build cycles in selective electron beam melting. Results show that the crystal plane spacing and particle size of the powder increased with reuse. With the increase i reuse times, more irregular particles appeared and the flowability decreased. The oxygen and nitrogen content of powder gradually increases from 149 to 250 ppm and 237 ppm to 394 ppm, respectively, with reuse. The simulation results show that the wider particle size distribution, the better the relative packing performance of the powder layer. Powder reuse has no negative effect on the hardness of the as-built samples.