Characteristics of metal powders

The properties of the fabricated end product made from base metal powders are dependent on the characterisation of the powder from production. The main characteristics that describe metal powders are as follows:

· Morphology – describes the shape of the particle and its contour surface (Table 1)

· Granulometry – specifies particle size and size distribution

· Chemical composition – determines the level of element purity

· Surface area – measures the actual amount of surface area per unit mass and gas adsorption by the BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Taylor) method or the permeation technique

· Powder surface topography – shows the nature of the surface of individual particles (fineness, roughness, sharpness)

· Compressibility – indicates the measure to which a powder will compress or densify upon application of external pressure