Kennametal Develops First Stellite Powder for 3D Printing

Kennametal’s Stellite 21 AM powder is the first Stellite powder qualified for laser powder bed additive manufacturing (AM), and the latest addition to its portfolio of high-performance metal powders optimized for 3D printing.

The company says Stellite 21 AM powder offers the unique corrosion and wear-resistant properties of the Stellite alloy family for laser powder bed additive platforms, enabling the production of high-performance wear components.

The powder is designed to help users leverage the advantages of 3D printing and make better parts, faster and more efficiently. It is available direct to customers for use in their own 3D printing applications or in combination with Kennametal’s end-to-end additive production capabilities to make fully finished components.

Valued for its superior wear and corrosion resistance, the Stellite 21 alloy has a long history of success in traditional manufacturing applications in the oil and gas, power generation and aerospace industries. Stellite 21 AM powder now enables customers to achieve similar wear and corrosion resistance properties in additively manufactured parts. The alloy is well-suited for flow control applications and can be integrated into complex designs to mitigate cavitation, erosion or corrosion failures.

The powder’s composition features a Cobalt Chrome Molybdenum alloy matrix, containing dispersed hard carbides which strengthen the alloy and increase its hardness while decreasing the material’s ductility. It also has excellent corrosion and thermal shock and mechanical shock resistance, the company says.