Research progress on atomization methods for preparing metal powder used in additive manufacturing
LI Qi
XIE Jun
WU Hao
HOU Weiqiang
CHAI Hongyu
CHU Zhaokuang
LIANG Jingjing
LI Jinguo
SUN Xiaofeng
ZHOU Yizhou
Abstract：Significance As an important raw material for additive manufacturing(AM),the quality of metal powder is one of the key fac-tors influencing final product performance.With the rapid development of AM technologies,the demand for high-quality and cost-effective powders has significantly increased.The atomization method,which directly transforms molten metal into powder,is particularly suitable for AM applications.This review introduces the research progress of three typical atomization technolo-gies:gas atomization,plasma rotating electrode process(PREP),and ultrasonic atomization(UA).While gas atomization and PREP have achieved large-scale powder production,UA stands out as the most promising powder preparation technique due to its high powder quality and low production cost.
Progress The rising demands for powder quality and cost-efficiency in AM have promoted the development of atomization tech-niques.Research on gas atomization mainly focuses on optimizing the structure of the atomization nozzle and clarifying the impact of key atomization parameters on powder yield and quality.For PREP,three mechanisms of powder formation have been clarified,and the effects of key factors such as equipment layout and rod speed on powder yield and morphology have been estab-lished.Additionally,researchers have explored methods to increase the rod rotational speed and prevent powder contamination.With its high process controllability and low powder preparation cost,UA has attracted significant attention.Various types of UA devices have been developed based on the fundamental principles of UA,although the hourly powder yield remains lower compared to the other two techniques.
Conclusions and Prospects Developing atomization technologies for metal powders and upgrading equipment and processes to achieve efficient and low-cost production of high-quality metal powders is a key direction for the future development of atomiza-tion methods.This paper reviews the research progress of three atomization technologies:gas atomization,PREP,and UA.The conclusions are as follows:1)A low yield of fine powders and a high content of defective powders are the primary issues faced by gas atomization.Optimizing the structure of the atomizer to enhance gas kinetic energy efficiency and adjusting the airflow struc-ture within the atomization chamber to avoid the formation of defective powders are crucial for improving powder quality and reducing production costs.2)Consistently increasing the rotational speed of the electrode rod and optimizing the performance of the heat source,material supply,and chamber structure are key to PREP development.3)UA has significant development potential,but its underlying atomization mechanism is more complex.How to optimize equipment and processes to increase pow-der yield is a bottleneck issue that needs to be addressed.
Keywords：metal additive manufacturinggas atomizationplasma rotating electrode processultrasonic atomization
Publication Date：2025-09-01
Online Publishing Date：2026-05-22(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：18( 53-70 )