Fine stainless steel particles made by atomising molten metal with water or gas, used to make parts by press-and-sinter powder metallurgy, metal injection moulding (MIM) and additive manufacturing (3D printing), and for porous filters, thermal spray and coatings. 316L and 17-4PH are by far the most used grades.
Stainless powder is made by atomising: a stream of molten steel is broken into droplets by high-pressure water or gas jets and the droplets solidify in flight. Water atomisation is cheaper and gives irregular particles that interlock when pressed, which suits press-and-sinter parts and coarse MIM grades. Gas atomisation (with nitrogen or argon) gives smooth spherical particles that flow and pack well, which additive manufacturing needs; vacuum or inert melting keeps oxygen low.
Press-and-sinter powder metallurgy compacts powder in a die and sinters it below the melting point, making small parts such as lock components, sensor housings and filters cheaply in large numbers. Metal injection moulding mixes very fine powder with a binder, injects it like plastic, removes the binder and sinters the part to near full density, giving complex small parts for watches, medical devices, electronics and firearms. Additive manufacturing melts layers of powder with a laser or electron beam (powder bed fusion) or feeds powder into a melt pool (directed energy deposition) to build parts directly from a CAD model.
What matters in a powder is its chemistry (especially oxygen, carbon and nitrogen), its particle size distribution (quoted as D10, D50 and D90), its shape, flowability and apparent and tap density. These are measured with standard tests — Hall flow and apparent density (ASTM B212, B213), sieve analysis (ASTM B214) and laser diffraction — and ASTM F3049 lists the methods used to characterise powders for additive manufacturing. Powder for printing is often re-used after sieving, so its condition has to be tracked.
In the GCC, metal 3D printing is growing in oil and gas, utilities and aerospace — for spare parts, impellers and tooling — encouraged by initiatives such as the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy and by operators printing replacement parts locally. Stainless powders, mainly 316L and 17-4PH, are imported from European, North American and Asian atomisers and from the printer manufacturers.
Powder is ordered by grade, process (water or gas atomised), particle size range and the intended process; specify the chemistry limits (O, N, C), flow and density requirements and the lot size.
| Region | Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| USA | ASTM F3184 ASTM |
Additive manufacturing stainless steel alloy UNS S31603 (316L) with powder bed fusion — requirements for parts |
| USA | ASTM B883 ASTM |
Metal injection molded (MIM) ferrous materials, including stainless grades |
| USA | ASTM F3049 ASTM |
Characterizing properties of metal powders used for additive manufacturing processes |
| International | ISO/ASTM 52900 ISO |
Additive manufacturing — general principles — fundamentals and vocabulary |
| USA | ASTM B212 ASTM |
Apparent density of free-flowing metal powders using the Hall flowmeter funnel |
| USA | ASTM B213 ASTM |
Flow rates of metal powders using the Hall flowmeter funnel |
| USA | ASTM B214 ASTM |
Sieve analysis of metal powders |
| International | ISO 4497 ISO |
Metallic powders — determination of particle size by dry sieving |
Grade equivalents and the standards bodies: Steel grades & standards
Local Steel Mills · Steel Mills - Agents & Traders · Coil Service Center · Tube Manufacturer · Stockist - Distributor · Fabrication · Other Steel Users · Design - Engineering · Surface Treatment · Equipment & Software · Transport & Warehousing · Consultants · Changzhou
Local Steel Mills · Steel Mills - Agents & Traders · Coil Service Center · Tube Manufacturer · Stockist - Distributor · Fabrication · Other Steel Users · Design - Engineering · Surface Treatment · Equipment & Software · Transport & Warehousing · Consultants · Changzhou
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