When Powder Grains Come into Close Contact

The MŎVENTĔR project (Modelling the Ageing of Metallic Powders used in Additive Manufacturing), funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) through its “Young Researchers” instrument and led by Dr. Maelig Ollivier, was launched this autumn.

The project aims to understand how the ageing of aluminum alloy powders used in additive manufacturing (3D printing) alters their rheological properties.

During the project’s 4 years of funding, the interactions between aged powder grains will be studied using an atomic force microscope (AFM) to model the ageing and surface chemistry of the grains and to relate these properties to the flow properties of a collection of grains at the macroscopic scale.

Beyond the scientific interest of better understanding the impact of ageing conditions on the surface chemistry of powder grains and thus on their rheology, the MŎVENTĔR project aims to contribute to the growth of powder bed additive manufacturing by improving the economic sustainability and durability of the feedstock materials for this new tool serving advanced industries.