
Circular Recycling of Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing
Pometon has developed a circular recycling route that combines two key technologies, Thermal Electrode Recycler (TER) and Electrode Inert Gas Atomization (EIGA), to address the growing demands for sustainability, quality, and waste reduction in the Additive Manufacturing sector.


From waste material to new high performance AM powders
The production and use of powders for Additive Manufacturing inevitably generate waste materials, such as off‑spec fractions, unused powders, support structures, and machining residues. In the case of high‑value alloys, particularly titanium‑based alloys, these materials represent a significant challenge both from an economic and an environmental perspective.
Traditional recovery technologies are often inefficient or unsuitable for maintaining the high quality standards required by Additive Manufacturing. Reactive alloys are also particularly sensitive to contamination and oxidation, making direct reuse complex without compromising performance.
The challenge was therefore to develop a reliable and scalable industrial solution capable of transforming waste into new high‑quality raw material suitable for the most demanding AM processes.
The process begins with the consolidation of metallic scrap and AM residues through vacuum induction sintering in the TER system. This step makes it possible to transform loose powders, support structures, and machining residues into sintered bars with controlled density, specifically optimized for remelting.
The resulting bars are then atomized using EIGA technology, a “crucible‑free” process that avoids any contact with refractory materials. This ensures the production of highly pure spherical metal powders, preserving the chemical integrity required for Additive Manufacturing.
The process has been validated on several titanium alloys commonly used in AM processes.
The powders obtained from recycled material show:
- highly spherical morphology
- absence of internal defects
- chemical composition compliant with AM specifications
- performance comparable to powders produced from virgin raw material
This confirms the feasibility of a complete recycling cycle without compromising material quality.

A scalable circular solution, beyond recycling
The TER–EIGA route represents a concrete and scalable industrial solution for the circular economy in Additive Manufacturing.
The main advantages include:
- significant reduction of metallic waste
- improved utilization of high‑value raw materials
- reduced environmental impact of the production process
- direct integration into industrial powder production lines
- consistent quality for high‑performance AM applications
Beyond recycling, the flexibility of the TER system also enables the development of advanced composite powders. By combining metallic matrices and ceramic reinforcements prior to atomization, it is possible to obtain innovative materials with tailored properties.
This technology opens new opportunities for applications in highly demanding sectors such as aerospace, motorsport, and advanced industry, where high performance and sustainability are increasingly central.