Stainless Steel Powders for Additive Manufacturing

Stainless steel powders enable complex geometry printing using additive techniques unmatched by conventional metal manufacturing. This guide covers alloy variants, particle specifications, properties data, pricing insights and comparisons to inform stainless powder procurement.

Introduction to Stainless Steel Powders

Key capabilities offered by stainless steel powders:

• Fabricate complex, lightweight components
• Achieve superior corrosion resistance
• Enable rapid prototyping and customization

Common alloys used include:

• 304L – Cost effective with excellent corrosion resistance
• 316L – Superb corrosion resistance with molybdenum addition
• 17-4PH – High strength, hardest stainless powder

This guide provides considerations when selecting stainless powders:

• Alloy Compositions and Production Methods
• Mechanical Properties Test Data
• Particle Size Distribution Recommendations
• Morphology, Flow Rate and Apparent Density
• Supplier Price Ranges Based on Volumes
• Corrosion Resistance Comparisons
• Pros vs Cons Relative to Solid Barstock
• FAQs on Printing Parameter Optimization

Stainless Steel Powder Compositions

Table 1 shows stainless steel powder alloy compositions by primary elemental additions with some variation across powder manufacturers:

Carbon is restricted (≤0.03%) in 304L and 316L to prevent carbide precipitation and maintain corrosion resistance and weldability.

Higher carbon in 17-4PH increases strength through martensitic hardening heat treatments.

Mechanical Properties and Test Methods

Table 2 shows typical minimum mechanical properties met by stainless steel powders, with actual values varying based on build geometry, post-processing, and heat treatment selection:

Carefully review test data reports to ensure procured powder lots meet certification specs and application requirements prior to high volume purchasing commitments.

Stainless Steel Powder Particle Size Recommendations

Table 3 shows common particle size distribution categories used to classify stainless steel powders:

Other key powder characteristics:

• Spherical morphology
• Satellite free smooth surface
• Apparent density >90% of true density
• Hall flowmeter rates >30 seconds for 50 grams

For printing parameters, 25-45 micron mean size provides a robust starting point with good resolution and flowability.

Powder Morphology, Flow Rate and Density

Table 4 compares powder characteristics across general quality tiers that impact printing process stability:

Poor powder flow and density require extra parameter adjustments to achieve print quality, affecting productivity. Request hall flow seconds and density data from suppliers.

Stainless Steel Powder Pricing

Table 5 outlines rough pricing estimates for common stainless steel powders under normal market conditions:

• Bulk discounts beyond 500-1000 kg
• Actual prices fluctuate relative to raw material costs
• Carefully review true yields vs “good” powder
• Low prices often indicate poor consistency

Compare price lists but focus evaluations on test data quality to identify best value propositions aligning with print process capabilities.

Stainless Steel Powder Corrosion Resistance

Table 6 compares corrosion resistance across common alloys:

Molybdenum enhances pitting and crevice corrosion resistance in 316L powder. Higher chromium also boosts passivity.

Carefully select alloys optimized for intended operating environments based on chemicals, concentration, pH and temperatures expected during service life.

Pros vs Cons: Powder vs Solid Barstock

Table 7

In general, stainless steel powder justifies higher prices for low volume complex components where corrosion resistance and weight reduction are vital. Bar forms offer affordability for simple shapes in high production use cases.

FAQs

Table 8 – Common questions:

Table 9 – Application-focused advice:

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