Overview
ISO/ASTM 52928:2024 - Additive manufacturing of metals - Feedstock materials - Powder life cycle management defines requirements and recommended practices for managing metal feedstock powders used in powder‑based additive manufacturing (AM). It complements ISO/ASTM 52907 (which focuses on virgin powders) by addressing lifecycle control of virgin and used powders, covering powder properties, lifecycle stages, test methods and powder quality assurance.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard describes measurable attributes and lifecycle controls without prescribing specific acceptance limits. Major technical topics include:
- Powder properties
- Particle size distribution (dynamic image analysis, laser diffraction, dry sieving)
- Chemical composition (combustion methods, ICP‑OES, XRF, EDX, AAS)
- Characteristic densities (apparent, tap, skeletal) and methods to determine closed porosity
- Shape and morphology (image analysis, SEM, light microscopy, specific surface area)
- Flowability (angle of repose, flow rate, ring shear, rotating drum, Hausner ratio)
- Contamination and moisture, including O/H/N content and impurity control
- Absorption rate (e.g., DRIFTS techniques)
- Powder life cycle
- Batch, blend, mix and combine definitions; reuse metric concepts
- Traceability: event history, powder state tracking and labelling
- Handling: storage, transfer, repacking best practices
- Recycling/reuse strategies and end‑of‑life disposal considerations
- Powder quality assurance
- Documentation requirements and Certificate of Analysis (CoA)
- Sampling strategies for virgin, blended and used powders
- Test methods, environmental monitoring and recommended test frequency
Practical applications
ISO/ASTM 52928:2024 provides a framework to:
- Establish a powder lifecycle management program for metal AM production
- Define sampling, testing and acceptance workflows for incoming and reclaimed powders
- Implement traceability and labelling across powder batches and reuse cycles
- Set requirements for documentation, CoAs and quality records
- Guide selection and specification of measurement and testing equipment for powder characterization
These practices reduce variability in part quality, improve reproducibility, and support regulatory/commercial claims about material control.
Who should use this standard
- Manufacturers of metal powders
- Purchasers and procurement teams of AM feedstock
- Quality assurance and metrology personnel responsible for AM part performance
- Suppliers of powder characterization and testing equipment
- R&D teams developing powder reuse or recycling strategies
Related standards
- ISO/ASTM 52907 - Requirements for virgin powder for powder‑bed fusion and other powder‑based AM processes
Keywords: ISO/ASTM 52928:2024, powder life cycle management, additive manufacturing of metals, metal powders, powder feedstock, powder properties, powder quality assurance, traceability, sampling, Certificate of Analysis.