Calculation of laser absorption by metal powders in additive manufacturing

We have calculated the absorption of laser light by a powder of metal spheres, typical of the powder employed in laser powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing. Using ray-trace simulations, we show that the absorption is significantly larger than its value for normal incidence on a flat surface, due...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied optics. Optical technology and biomedical optics Vol. 54; no. 9; p. 2477
Main Authors Boley, C D, Khairallah, S A, Rubenchik, A M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 20.03.2015
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Summary:We have calculated the absorption of laser light by a powder of metal spheres, typical of the powder employed in laser powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing. Using ray-trace simulations, we show that the absorption is significantly larger than its value for normal incidence on a flat surface, due to multiple scattering. We investigate the dependence of absorption on powder content (material, size distribution, and geometry) and on beam size.
ISSN:2155-3165
DOI:10.1364/AO.54.002477