Fast screening of modified powder compositions for Selective Laser Melting

Modification of alloy compositions is currently widely investigated to improve the processability of nickel based superalloys by selective laser melting (SLM). In several alloys, including Hastelloy X, it has been observed that marginal amounts of specific elements may influence the solidification cracking susceptibility during SLM. This paper describes a methodology comprising small powder batch obtained by fast gas atomisation combined with small part manufacturing by SLM and concomitant microstructural characterization. Small quantities of modified Hastelloy X powder were produced at lab scale and were compared to commercial powders. The powders were characterized in terms of flowability, morphology and size distribution. A benchmark part was built with each powder to quickly evaluate the influence of the powder characteristics and alloy composition on the SLM behaviour. This approach allowed evaluating the influence of a modified alloy composition on the SLM processability.