ORONO, Maine, Oct. 22 -- University of Maine issued the following news release:
Manufacturing aircraft components, battery materials, cutting tools, biomedical implants and other precision-engineered parts often involves metals in powder form.
When these powders become mixed or cross-contaminated during material changes, handling, recovery or multimaterial 3D printing, they may no longer meet the strict requirements for reuse. Leftover powders, contaminated feedstock and material from failed production attempts may then be discarded even when they contain valuable metals.
A University of Maine research team has developed a process that could help recover these materials for reuse in 3D printing, sintering and other powder-based manufactu...