X-ray fluorescence: A fast, accurate and versatile tool for elemental analysis in metal additive manufacturing

por John Duffy, Friday, 25th August 2023

The last decade has seen plenty of hype around 3D printing such that 3D printers will be ubiquitous in the home and consumer printing will be widespread. This prediction has not happened yet and is unlikely to happen anytime soon. We have Amazon providing next day delivery of essential items, and Deliveroo bringing freshly made coffee to our door. So why would we want ‘and need’ the hassle of printing our own household items? That’s not the complete story of course – there are also limitations to domestic 3D printing with regards to technology access, cost, and material availability…as well as time.

But that is not to say that 3D printing is ‘dead and buried’. Far from it! 3D printing, or Additive Manufacturing as we will refer to it, has continued a trend of double-digit revenue growth in 25 of the past 34 years according to the 2022 Wohlers report. And production of end-use parts now accounts for 34% of all industrial applications – the largest segment. So, although it may not be a widespread domestic tool it’s already becoming a standard production tool in some industries like aerospace, medical and automotive with many other applications on the horizon.

This growth in final part manufacture is driven largely by powder-based processes such as Binder Jetting, Direct Energy Deposition and Powder Bed Fusion, with polymer powders and metal powders the main materials. The increasing demand for additively manufactured metal parts, combined with reduced material costs and larger machines, has signalled significant growth in both metal powder volumes and revenues in the years ahead. According to this white paper from SmarTech Analysis and 6K Additive, metal powder revenues for AM could exceed $7.7bn by 2031 and be used to produce over 230 million parts per year.

A key criterion for metal additive manufacturers and their suppliers is metal powder quality, since this impacts both process performance and final part properties. Powders should ideally be spherical with a narrow particle size distribution to facilitate optimum melting, flowability and dense packing. But perhaps more important is the chemistry. Powder needs to comply with the alloy composition of the material specified, and grade must be carefully selected to control the interstitial elements present such as oxygen or nitrogen, which can impact the properties of the finished component. In addition, AM powders must be free from foreign particulate contamination such as other material batches at the powder production plant, the AM facility, or debris in processing/recycling equipment.

Malvern Panalytical provide industry standard solutions for particle size and shape analysis of metal powders using the Mastersizer 3000, Morphologi 4, and Hydro Insight. But we also provide class-leading systems for the elemental analysis of metals and metal powders by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF). In fact XRF is an ASTM standard technique for metal and metal powder analysis, including titanium alloy, nickel alloy, and stainless steel. It can also be used for the measurement and classification of feedstock contamination and is simple, fast, and accurate.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of XRF spectroscopy for metal and metal powder analysis, then why not sign-up to our webinar on 12th September. In this webinar, titled “X-ray fluorescence: A fast, accurate and versatile tool for elemental analysis in metal additive manufacturing”, our experts will cover the following topics:

The basic principles of XRF measurements and how to measure loose powders, fused discs, and printed parts.
The differences between WDXRF and EDXRF methods and their relative benefits for metal powder and part analysis.
How to use XRF to detect the presence of particulate contaminants in your metal powder, or inclusions in your printed parts

So whether you are a researcher, powder producer, analytical scientist or additive manufacturer we think this event with be relevant for you. You can register here.

Further reading