A method

Abstract

A method of preparing a metal matrix composite powder for additive manufacturing, comprising preparing a cored wire having a metal shell enclosing a ceramic, and using the wire as an electrode in atomisation. The ceramic may be TiB2, SiC or AlN, or MAX phase powder. The MAX phase may have a general formula Mn+1AXn, where M is a metal, A is an A-group element and X is C, N or B. M may be one or more of Ti, Sc, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Hf, Mn and Mo, and A may be one or more of Cd, Si, Sn, In, Ga, Tl, Al, Ga, Pb, Zn and Au. The MAX phase may be Ti3SiC2, Al4SiC4 or Al8SiC7.The powder may have a d10 of 5 µm or less and a d90 of 10 micrometres or less. The wire may comprise a metal powder or wire within the shell, both of which may be nickel, steel, titanium, aluminium, cobalt, magnesium, copper, refractory metals, platinum group metals or vanadium, or their alloys. The wire may be greater than 70 wt% Al, optionally Al6061 alloy. The volume of powder may be 5, 10 or 50 % of the total volume of the wire. [Figure 2]