Particulates for additive manufacturing techniques

A method of making a coated particulate for an additive manufacturing technique, the method comprising:

• receiving particulate at a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor;
• flowing a hydrocarbon gas into the CVD reactor;
• decomposing the hydrocarbon gas in the CVD reactor;
• and
• depositing a carbonaceous coating on a body of the particulate using a product of the decomposed hydrocarbon gas, wherein the carbonaceous coating has a reflectivity that is lower than a reflectivity of the particulate body to reduce an energy input requirement of the coated particulate to fuse the coated particulate into a layer of an article using an additive manufacturing technique, wherein the particulate body includes a first material and a second material separate from the first material, the first material having an electrical resistivity that is lower that an electrical resistivity of the second material, wherein the carbonaceous coating has an electrical resistivity that is lower than the electrical resistivity of the second material, wherein depositing the carbonaceous coating on the particulate includes depositing a carbonaceous layer including graphene on a surface of the particulate in the CVD reactor, and further including receiving coated particulate at an additive manufacturing apparatus, and fusing the coated particulate into a layer of an article using an external energy source.