Nanoparticle‐Coated X2CrNiMo17‐12‐2 Powder for Additive Manufacturing—Part II: Processability by Powder Bed Fusion of Metals Using a Laser Beam

Powder bed fusion of metals using a laser beam (PBF‐LB/M) is an additive manufacturing process for the direct production of metallic components using metal powder as a starting material. In order to improve the properties of the PBF‐LB/M components and increase the process efficiency by improving the laser absorption and the flowability of the metal powders used, powders are additivated with nanoparticles prior to processing by PBF‐LB/M in the literature. In the present work, X2CrNiMo17‐12‐2 (1.4404/316L) powder coated with silicon carbide (SiC), silicon (Si), and silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) nanoparticles in volume fractions of 0.25–1 vol% is processed by PBF‐LB/M. Initially, multilayer single tracks (MST) are produced. In the next step, dynamic hatch (DH) samples are manufactured based on the MST tests. The coating of the powder feedstock with nanoparticles leads to an enlargement of the process window in the DH test and an increase in the maximum build rate.