Abstract: Plastic powder for use as a building material for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by layer-by-layer melting and solidification by hardening of the building material at the positions corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in the respective layer by exposure to radiation, preferably by exposure to NIR radiation, wherein the plastic powder comprises a dry blend of polymer-based particles and particles of a NIR absorber, wherein the NIR absorber comprises carbon black or is carbon black and wherein the weight percentage of carbon black in the total weight of polymer and carbon black particles is in the range of at least 0.02% and at most 0.45%, and/or wherein the carbon black has a mean primary particle diameter in the range of from 15 nm to 70 nm, preferably of at least 26 nm and/or at most 58 nm.

Abstract: A method of providing a particulate material from an at least substantially metallic and/or ceramic starting material, comprising the following steps: (a) generating the particulate material from the starting material by vaporizing the starting material by introducing energy, preferably radiation energy, in particular by means of at least one laser, into the starting material and subsequently at least partially condensing the vaporized starting material, b) collecting the particulate material in at least one receiving and/or transporting device, in particular at least one container, c) receiving, in particular storing, and/or transporting the particulate material in the receiving and/or transporting device and/or in a further receiving and/or transporting device such that it can be used for a subsequent process, in particular in a state of at least non-permanent passivation, and d) providing the particulate material for the subsequent process.

Abstract: A method of providing a particulate material from an at least substantially metallic and/or ceramic starting material, comprising the following steps: (a) generating the particulate material from the starting material by vaporizing the starting material by introducing energy, preferably radiation energy, in particular by means of at least one laser, into the starting material and subsequently at least partially condensing the vaporized starting material, b) collecting the particulate material in at least one receiving and/or transporting device, in particular at least one container, c) receiving, in particular storing, and/or transporting the particulate material in the receiving and/or transporting device and/or in a further receiving and/or transporting device such that it can be used for a subsequent process, in particular in a state of at least non-permanent passivation, and d) providing the particulate material for the subsequent process.

Abstract: Plastic powder for use as a building material for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by layer-by-layer melting and solidification by hardening of the building material at the positions corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in the respective layer by exposure to radiation, preferably by exposure to NIR radiation, wherein the plastic powder comprises a dry blend of polymer-based particles and particles of a NIR absorber, wherein the NIR absorber comprises carbon black or is carbon black and wherein the weight percentage of carbon black in the total weight of polymer and carbon black particles is in the range of at least 0.02% and at most 0.45%, and/or wherein the carbon black has a mean primary particle diameter in the range of from 15 nm to 70 nm, preferably of at least 26 nm and/or at most 58 nm.

Abstract: Plastic powder for use as building material for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selectively solidifying the building material at the positions corresponding to the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in the respective layer, in particular by exposure to radiation, wherein the plastic powder comprises a mixture of polymer-based particles and particles of a particulate additive and wherein the particulate additive is selected such that the crystallization point of the mixture of the polymer-based particles and the particulate additive is substantially not increased compared to the crystallization point of a mixture of the polymer-based particles without the particulate additive.