Tungsten Free Metal Powders Freely Offered to Additive Manufacturing Industry

PyroGenesis, a manufacturer of spherical metal powders using patented plasma processes, has announced that PyroGenesis Additive can now offer Tungsten free metal powders to the additive manufacturing industry.

Known as “the Devil particle,” tungsten is a contaminant of metal powders, causing imperfections and concurrent weakness in a 3D printed part. Tungsten contamination has caused catastrophic part failures in the past, and is a major concern for the aerospace industry.

Tungsten has the highest melting point of all discovered elements and, as Pierre Carabin, Chief Technology Officer of PyroGenesis, explains, “Since the melting point of tungsten is higher than that of titanium, it does not melt during the AM printing process.” The result, then, is a cluster of solid tungsten particles within an otherwise conformal 3D printed titanium part.

“Tungsten inclusions,” adds Carbin, “can become preferred sites for crack initiation. This has led to catastrophic failures and is clearly unacceptable, particularly in the aerospace industry.”

tungsten free metal powders picture

Also the heaviest known element, tungsten has exceptional hardness and high density, making it a valuable ingredient in alloys used to make military armaments. It is used to make filament in light bulbs, the nib of ballpoint pens, rocket nozzles and more. 

The heavy-metal’s versatile application is also the reason why it can be found contaminating metal powders that would otherwise be free of its presence.

Plasma nozzles used in the powder synthesis process often contain traces of the element. Therefore, PyroGenesis’ solution was to rid their nozzles of tungsten.

Pascali explains, “We know of no other plasma atomization process (using DC torches) which uses tungsten free nozzles,”

Additionally, all titanium powders produced by the company are screened for tungsten content, ensuring the quality of the material for its customers.

“This not only underscores PyroGenesis’ ability to quickly find solutions to complex issues,” adds Pascali, “but how these solutions can lead to economically valuable alternatives, and opens the door to addressing this need with potential clients.”

 

 

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