Multivariate correlation of PolyArylEtherKetone powder properties for additive manufacturing and a method for predicting spreading in polymer powder bed fusion

Abstract

In a study of unique scale, twenty-four milled Polyaryletherketone (PAEK) polymer powders produced during the development of new grades for Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) were tested using a universal powder rheometer and particle size and shape analyser. Multivariate correlation was used to identify the linear relationships between bulk and dynamic properties and particle size. The flow energy, which measures the energy required to displace powder when in a loosely packed state, was found to have very strong relationships with both the powder density and its compressibility, and both the density and compressibility share a very strong relationship with each other. Partition modelling determined that normalised aeration sensitivity (NAS) was the key indicator when predicting powder spreading. The study highlights the importance for complete and pertinent datasets to allow the development of accurate correlations and the need to capture the PBF spreading performance when developing materials for additive manufacturing.