Selective laser sintering of single‐ and two‐component metal powders

A comparative characterisation of selective laser sintering (SLS) mechanisms of single‐ and two‐component powders is presented. The effects of the volume fraction of liquid phase and the powder absorptance were discussed. Single‐component Ni‐alloy, Fe and Cu powders as well as two‐component powder systems based on Ni‐alloy, Fe and Cu were investigated. In particular, the following types of two‐component powder systems were studied: Ni‐alloy‐Cu and Fe‐Cu powder mixtures as well as Cu‐coated Ni‐alloy powder and Cu‐coated Fe powders. SLS experiments were performed with a CW‐ Nd:YAG laser (λ=1.06 μm). The acting mechanism in all cases was liquid phase sintering.