Patent ID: 8781065

Claim:
A method of determining the proportions of different powders in a powder comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a sample of a powder, the powder comprising powder particles, b) preparing a predetermined volume of molten material, c) adding the sample of the powder to the molten material, d) mixing the sample of the powder into the molten material, e) solidifying the mixture of powder and molten material to form a block, the block consisting of the material containing the powder particles, f) carrying out computed tomography on the block to produce a three-dimensional image of the block, the three-dimensional image of the block comprising a first shade, or colour, corresponding to the material, a second shade, or colour, corresponding to a first powder particle and a third shade, or colour, corresponding to a second powder particle, g) analysing the three-dimensional image of the block to count the number of regions exhibiting the second shade, or colour, and hence count the corresponding number of first powder particles in the block, analysing the three-dimensional image of the block to count the number of regions exhibiting the third shade, or colour, and hence count the corresponding number of second powder particles, and h) determining the amount of second particles in the powder by determining the fraction of second powder particles by dividing the number of second powder particles counted in step g) by the sum of the number of first powder particles counted in step g) and the number of second powder particles counted in step g).