The flow behavior of powders has an essential role in many industrial processes, including powder bed additive manufacturing. The characterization of the flow behavior is challenging, as different methods are available, and their suitability for an application in additive manufacturing is still controversial. In this study, six standardized methods (measurement of bulk density by ISO 60 and by ASTM B329, angle of repose by ISO 4324, discharge time by ISO 6186 and by ASTM B964–16, and Hausner Ratio by ASTM 7481–18), the rotating drum method (by GranuDrum) and powder rheometry (Anton Paar powder cell), were applied to five size fractions of a crushed quartz sand powder and compared. A statistical approach is proposed and discussed to correlate the obtained flowability indexes with the packing density of powder beds deposited layer-by-layer, and these correlations are compared between methods. Overall, the measurement of bulk density by ASTM B329 showed the best correlation with the powder bed density. Advanced methods such as the rotating drum method and powder rheometry did not demonstrate particularly good correlations, however they provided complementary information which can be useful to assess the dynamic behavior of powders.

粉末的流动行为在许多工业过程中起着至关重要的作用，包括粉末床增材制造。流动行为的表征具有挑战性，因为可以使用不同的方法，并且它们在增材制造中的应用的适用性仍然存在争议。在本研究中，六种标准化方法（通过 ISO 60 和 ASTM B329 测量体积密度，通过 ISO 4324 测量休止角，通过 ISO 6186 和 ASTM B964-16 测量放电时间，以及通过 ASTM 7481-18 测量 Hausner Ratio），将旋转鼓法（通过 GranuDrum）和粉末流变测定法（安东帕粉末池）应用于粉碎的石英砂粉末的五个尺寸部分并进行比较。提出并讨论了一种统计方法，将获得的流动性指标与逐层沉积的粉末床的堆积密度相关联，并在方法之间比较这些相关性。总体而言，ASTM B329 的堆积密度测量显示出与粉末床密度的最佳相关性。转鼓法和粉末流变测定法等先进方法并未表现出特别好的相关性，但它们提供了可用于评估粉末动态行为的补充信息。