Using recycled material to produce gas-atomized metal powders for additive manufacturing processes

Additive manufacturing refers to the technologies used to directly produce parts from a three-dimensional model. Recycled AISI 316L and standard AISI 316L materials were used to produce powders via gas atomization process, and two additive manufacturing technologies, i.e., selective laser melting and laser metal deposition, were investigated. This study aims to determine the feasibility of using recycled material to produce powders for additive manufacturing. For each technology, the effect of process parameters on the solidification of the recycled powders was evaluated. Then, tensile tests were conducted on the specimens produced using the optimized process parameters. Specimens from both the technologies exhibited higher ultimate tensile strength values than standard AISI 316L. Recycled powders made from selective laser melting and laser metal deposition exhibited tensile strength values of 653 ± 1.79 MPa and 675 ± 2 MPa, respectively, whereas the standard powders exhibited a tensile strength of 594 ± 0.89 and 585 ± 3.1 MPa, respectively. We conclude that recycled AISI 316L can be used to produce powders for AM applications, resulting in good processability and high mechanical properties.