In additive manufacturing, powder flowability is a vital process indicator. Ultra-fine powders within 0–25 μm tend to agglomerate due to strong intermolecular and electrostatic attraction between particles, which undermines flowability, uniform powder spreading and printing stability. By optimizing production processes, IMT has achieved reliable flow performance for powders in this particle size range.
With over a decade of expertise in metal powders for additive manufacturing, IMT has attained full independent control over core powder-making equipment. The company has built complete production lines covering EIGA/VIGA vacuum gas atomization, Plasma Atomization (PA), Plasma Spheroidization (PS) and Hydride-Dehydride (HDH) technologies.
To tackle challenges of ultra-fine powders, IMT adopts a synergistic interfacial passivation and modification process for homogeneous powder conditioning. By precisely regulating particle surface conditions and surface energy barriers, the technology weakens particle agglomeration and improves powder dispersion and dynamic flow. It resolves common industry issues including adhesion, bridging and material interruption of ultra-fine powders. The breakthrough greatly enhances powder spreading uniformity and feeding stability.
The 0–25 μm ultra-fine powders with stable and measurable flow properties support printing with a laser spot diameter below 50 μm. They enable the fabrication of micron-scale features, boost the forming capability of ultra-thin walls and complex internal cavities, improve dimensional accuracy of printed parts and cut subsequent surface treatment workloads. Additionally, they lay a solid foundation for multi-layer and multi-material precision composite printing.
