ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING POWDER AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PART MADE USING SAME

1 . An additive manufacturing powder comprising metal-based particles wherein less than 20, 000, 000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter smaller than or equal to 15 μm; and the metal-based particles have at least one of:

a) an average aspect ratio greater than or equal to 0.95;

b) an average roundness greater than or equal to 0.95; and

c) an average Krumbein sphericity greater than or equal to 0.95.

2 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , comprising metal-based particles wherein:

less than 8,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter smaller than or equal to 15 μm;

less than 1,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 10 μm and 15 μm, less than 2,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 5 μm and 10 μm, and less than 5,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter smaller than 5 μm;

less than 500,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 10 μm and 15 μm, less than 1,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 5 μm and 10 μm, and less than 3,000,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter smaller than 5 μm; or

less than 300,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 10 μm and 15 μm, less than 700,000 of the metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter between 5 μm and 10 μm, and less than 2,500,000 metal-based particles per gram of the metal-based particles have a diameter smaller than 5 μm.

3 .- 4 . (canceled)

5 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing powder consists essentially of the metal-based particles.

6 .- 8 . (canceled)

9 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the average aspect ratio of the metal-based particles is greater than or equal to about 0.985.

10 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the average Krumbein sphericity of the metal-based particles is greater than 0.999.

13 .- 14 . (canceled)

15 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the average Wadell roundness of the metal-based particles is greater than or equal to 0.991.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder have a dimensionless particle size distribution width greater than 10.

18 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder have an average apparent density greater than or equal to 53%.

19 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the powder has a ratio of an average spread density to the average apparent density greater than 90%.

22 .- 23 . (canceled)

24 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder have a mass-median-diameter (d50) and at least 70 wt % of the metal-based particles of the powder are within 5 μm of the mass-median-diameter (d50) and/or at least 99.6 wt % of the metal-based particles of the powder are within 20 μm of the mass-median-diameter (d50).

25 . (canceled)

26 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 24 , wherein at least 99.6 wt % of the metal-based particles of the powder are within 15 μm of the mass-median-diameter (d50) or within 10 μm of the mass-median-diameter (d50).

27 . (canceled)

28 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the mass-median-diameter (d50) is between 45 μm to 90 μm, or is 125 μm.

29 . (canceled)

30 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder are characterized by a Hall flow lower than or equal to 40 seconds per 50 grams.

31 . (canceled)

32 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder are characterized by a Carney flow lower than or equal to 7 seconds per 50 grams.

33 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder are characterized by a specific surface area between 0.02 and 0.2 m 2 /g.

34 . (canceled)

35 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles of the powder have an average degree of moisture sorption less than 0.006 wt %.

36 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles comprise an outer metal oxide layer and an average thickness of the outer metal oxide layer of the metal-based particles is less than 5 nm.

37 . The additive manufacturing powder as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal-based particles are formed by an atomization process.

38 .- 40 . (canceled)

41 . A consolidated part produced via additive manufacturing of the powder as defined in claim 1 .

42 . A process for manufacturing a part comprising:

providing a metal-based powder as defined in claim 1 , and

manufacturing the part from the metal-based powder using at least one of powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, binder jetting, cold spray, metal injection molding, hot isostatic pressing and sintering.

43 .- 79 . (canceled)