Powder Lab - creating the powders behind tomorrow’s additive manufacturing breakthroughs

The challenge

Building sovereign capability in niche metal powders

Australia has been an early adopter and global contributor to metal additive manufacturing, with local companies, researchers and manufacturers helping to advance the technologies that are reshaping how complex parts are designed, tested and produced.

As metal additive manufacturing has matured, so too has demand for high-quality metallic powders — the essential feedstocks that determine how parts print, perform and scale into production.

Globally, metallic powder consumption has grown rapidly, while Australian additive manufacturers continue to rely heavily on imported powders. This creates cost, availability and supply chain risks for companies seeking to develop specialised products locally.

With the exception of a few manufacturers making very low volumes of aluminium, copper and nickel powders for 3D printing research purposes, Australia has no sovereign suppliers of metal powders.

While Australia has strong expertise in minerals, materials science and additive manufacturing, there are limited sovereign suppliers producing metal powders for advanced manufacturing at meaningful scale. That gap presents a major opportunity to turn Australian resources, recycled materials and industrial know-how into higher-value feedstocks for the next generation of manufacturing.

Developing local powder capability can help industry reduce reliance on imported materials, de-risk supply chains and create new pathways for critical minerals, waste streams and advanced materials to be processed into high-value manufacturing inputs.

Why powders matter

Powders for additive manufacturing are premium materials. They must meet strict requirements for particle size, shape, flowability, chemistry and consistency. These qualities influence how a powder behaves during printing, how efficiently it can be reused, and how the finished component performs.

As manufacturers work to lower costs and build more sophisticated products, many are looking beyond standard off-the-shelf powders. They need bespoke feedstocks designed for specific applications, performance requirements and manufacturing processes.

This is where Powder Lab comes in.

Our response

Powder Lab: tailored feedstocks for advanced manufacturing

Powder Lab is CSIRO’s dedicated capability for developing niche powder feedstocks for additive manufacturing, powder metallurgy and emerging materials applications. It gives industry access to specialist expertise, unique equipment and a practical development pathway from powder concept to demonstrator component.

The lab works across metals, metal alloys, metal-metal combinations, ceramics, metal-ceramics and composite powders. Its work spans the value chain — from developing powders from virgin materials to repurposing waste streams into valuable manufacturing feedstocks.

Located alongside Lab22, Australia’s Centre for Additive Innovation, Powder Lab supports an end-to-end manufacturing pathway: from feedstock development and powder processing through to additive manufacturing, powder metallurgy and prototype fabrication.

For industry, this means the ability to explore new materials, improve powder performance, test alternative feedstocks, develop circular economy solutions and accelerate the journey from material idea to manufactured part.

Australia is uniquely positioned to capture more value from its minerals, materials and manufacturing expertise. Powder Lab helps industry move beyond raw inputs toward advanced, locally developed powders and high-value products.

Strengthening Australia’s advanced manufacturing capability

Powder Lab is already helping demonstrate what local powder capability can deliver. CSIRO researchers have recycled industrial titanium waste into valuable wire for advanced manufacturing, showing how waste materials can be transformed into useful feedstocks that support circular economy outcomes, reduce costs and create new value for industry. 

The lab also produces advanced powders that can be used to manufacture complex parts that would be difficult or impossible to make using traditional methods. Demonstrator components show these materials are moving beyond research concepts and toward real industrial use.

Powder Lab projects have involved industry partners and international collaborators across aerospace, manufacturing, resources and battery sectors. These collaborations help Australian innovations move faster from lab-scale development to practical, commercial applications.

Specialist equipment available for industry collaboration

Powder Lab gives industry access to world-class powder processing and characterisation equipment, including technologies that are unique in Australia. These systems support collaborative research and development, helping companies test new materials, improve powder performance and fast-track advanced manufacturing applications.

Key capabilities include plasma spheroidisation, solid-state powder hybridisation, binder jet additive manufacturing, milling, blending, sieving and detailed powder characterisation. Together, these capabilities allow CSIRO and its partners to work across the full powder-to-part pathway, from raw or recycled particulates through to prototype components.

Key equipment on offer at Powder Lab

• Tekna Tek15 Powder Spheroidization Plant
• Nara Hybridisation Systems
• PX100 MarkForged Binder Jet Printer
• Hosokawa Alpine Jet Mill/Classifier
• Air Jet Sieve e200 LS
• V-Blenders
• Tumbler mixers
• Powder characterisation, such as Mastersizer particle analyser, QICPIC particle analyser, Hall Flow meter, Revolution Powder Analyser, Tap density tester.

Find out more about our specialised equipment here.

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