In the deployment of powder-based processes, such as many additive manufacturing technologies, the production and characterization of quality powders is often taken for granted. However, the simple act of breaking a bulk material down into sufficiently small particles can be very energy-intensive, whether this is done via mechanical comminution, atomization, deposition, etc. Furthermore, most powder-based processing methods have strict requirements on the purity, flowability, and packing behavior of the feedstock. Therefore, the size distribution, morphology, chemistry, and other properties of the particles must be carefully characterized and controlled. For these reasons, powder materials suitable for particular applications can be notoriously difficult and/or expensive to produce. As such, there is a definite need in the industry to improve the energy/cost-efficiency of powder production, as well as develop effective recycling techniques to improve overall yield. Example topics for this symposium include, but are not limited to:

* Alloy/compositional design for a wide range of processes
* Gaps in existing methods for powder characterization (e.g. size, shape, chemistry, phase) and new methods to meet these gaps
* Role of powder characteristics with respect to specific manufacturing processes
* Analysis and/or improvement of powder production efficiency
* Methods for improving powder flowability/packing/purity
* Powder recycling methods
* Powder production from scrap or other low-cost sources