Metal Powders in Additive Manufacturing: A Review on Reusability and Recyclability of Common Titanium, Nickel and Aluminum Alloys

Abstract Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has received a lot of attention since its introduction, owing to its cost efficiency and freedom in design. For a successful and repeatable AM process, metal powders conform to strict chemical and physical properties requirements. There are numerous factors affecting these characteristics in both virgin and used powders. This article presents a comprehensive overview on manufacturing methods of AM metal powders and the reusability of titanium, nickel and aluminum alloys (mainly Ti-6Al-4V, nickel alloy 718 and Al-Si10-Mg) as well as criteria for such reuse. Moreover, the feasibility of recycling AM metal powders is discussed. This article also provides perspectives and recommendations to enable AM users develop a well-defined and standard powder reuse process for keeping consistency in the desired characteristics of the powders or the built parts.