Investigating Powder Electrostatics in a Laser Metal Deposition Process
The use of granular materials and fine powders are commonplace in industrial applications.
These materials must be precisely characterized in order to properly control and optimize processing methods, with characterization methods typically relating to grain properties (for example, granulometry, chemical composition, or morphology) or to the behavior of the bulk powder (for example, flowability, blend stability, density, or electrostatic properties).
When it comes to analyzing the physical behavior of bulk powder, however, the majority of techniques commonly used in quality control or research and development laboratories are based on longstanding, often outdated measurement techniques.