Powder reuse can dramatically reduce material costs in aluminum additive manufacturing. However, adoption has been limited because of concerns over process reliability in serial production.  

This white paper examines new peer-reviewed research comparing two aluminum powders over 15 laser powder bed fusion cycles. The study reveals that powder characteristics—particularly sphericity and fines content—directly impact degradation rates and mechanical property retention.  

While all powders degrade with reuse, spherical powders with minimal fines maintained consistent yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation, whereas irregular powders with high fines showed significant property loss. This research will help manufacturers choose the right materials and create reliable powder reuse processes for production environments. 

Download Print and Repeat: Improving the reliability and economics of powder reuse in aluminum AM