Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has gained significant attention for its ability to fabricate lightweight and intricate components. However, using aluminium alloys in metal AM faces limitations primarily due to cracking issues. Understanding the quality of aluminium alloy powders becomes vital to enhance their use in metal AM processes. Internal porosity in metal powders is crucial as it can influence the amount of porosity in the printed components.

Initial powder characterisation involves SEM imaging and optical microscopy to assess particle shape and size. However, two-dimensional techniques have limitations as they independently measure particle size and shape. Additionally, since the internal pores are closed and in the micron range, estimating them using conventional approaches like analysing cross-section images is challenging. Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography offers three-dimensional image data, enabling the analysis of particle and pore morphology. In this study, an image analysis strategy is proposed. The segmentation approach is evaluated against manual segmentation to ensure accurate estimation of particle and pore morphology, aiding in understanding the correlation between particle morphology and pore characteristics.

Additionally, utilising the relationship between particle size and pore morphology enables understanding the influence of atomisation parameters on pore formation. Comparisons between powders synthesised by centrifugal atomisation and commercial aluminium alloy powders establish benchmarks for powder quality, emphasising internal porosity. Such comparisons provide critical insights into the effectiveness of centrifugal atomisation in producing high-quality aluminium alloy powders suitable for metal AM applications.