Abstract Pure iron is a promising candidate for biodegradable temporary orthopedic implants due to its biocompatibility, favorable mechanical strength, and non-toxic degradation products. Atomet 195 SP is a high-purity water-atomized iron powder commercially produced for food enrichment, pharmaceutical-related, and other non-structural applications. Its commodity-scale water-atomization production route may offer a cost advantage over specialty gas-atomized additive manufacturing feedstocks; however, this powder has not previously been evaluated for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). This study presents the first investigation of its processability by L-PBF, systematically establishing process–structure–property relationships across a volumetric energy density (Eᵥ) range of 34. 09–120. 00J mm −3. A Taguchi L16 orthogonal array was used to evaluate scanning speed, hatch spacing, and laser spot size. Scanning speed was identified as the dominant control factor for porosity (63. 49% contribution, p = 0. 007) and surface roughness (57. 76% contribution, p = 0. 003), with hatch spacing playing a significant secondary role; spot size was statistically insignificant. A processing window of 66–100J mm −3 yielded near-full densification, with a minimum porosity of 0. 06% at Eₕ = 85. 71J\;mm^{ - 3} —notably higher than the 47–55J mm −3 optimum reported for Atomet FeAM on the same machine, confirming that parameter transfer between water-atomized powder grades is not reliable. Within this optimal window, the material achieved porosities below 0. 5%, Vickers hardness values of 148 to − 159HV, ultimate tensile strengths of 449. 4-508. 1MPa, yield strengths of 413. 3-466. 2MPa, and elongations of 14. 1–22. 8%. EBSD analysis revealed a fine ferritic microstructure with grain sizes of 4. 0–5. 3 μm and no detectable secondary phases. A pronounced yield point phenomenon at high energy densities progressively attenuated with decreasing energy input. Two specimens fabricated with different parameter combinations at the same nominal Eᵥ exhibited subtle differences in grain size and mechanical response, reinforcing the limitation of energy density as a sole process descriptor. These results demonstrate that this low-cost water-atomized powder can be successfully processed by L-PBF with mechanical properties comparable to gas-atomized iron feedstocks, supporting its potential for biodegradable implant development.
Lopes et al. (Fri,) studied this question.