Magnetic properties of a martensitic stainless steel powder : Investigation of magnetic properties for a metallic powder with different sizes and its possible correlation to flow properties

Sammanfattning: For metal powders, flow properties are important. If the powder does not move properly, it can result in problems with the final product in additive manufacturing. Some of the products created with this manufacturing method are complex and used for important purposes such as medical devices and aerospace. Because of this, it is important that the flow properties are good and consistent. The magnetic properties of metallic powder can affect the flow properties. How this relationship can appear is investigated in this study. The magnetic properties are measured in a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, where it is easy to see a material's susceptibility, coercivity, demagnetization factor and saturation magnetization. The flow properties of the powder are measured in a rheometer which shows the total energy required to move the powder. An additional aspect considered is the size and sphericity of the powder, which is measured using a particle distribution test. The results show that the concentration of a magnetic powder does not seem to affect the magnetic properties, but the size of the powder does. The flow properties are found to be better for larger powders and magnetized powder seems to have a slightly improving effect on the flow. The particle distribution test showed that smaller powders are more spherical and have a more precise size distribution. In order to more clearly see a relationship between flow and magnetism, further studies would be needed.