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Powder Metallurgy

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Salem Garrab
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8 views9 pages

Powder Metallurgy

Uploaded by

Salem Garrab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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POWDER METALLURGY

1. The Characterization of Engineering Powders


2. Production of Metallic Powders
3. Conventional Pressing and Sintering
4. Alternative Pressing and Sintering Techniques
5. Materials and Products for PM
6. Design Considerations in Powder Metallurgy
POWDER METALLURGY
Lecture (1)
Powder metallurgy (PM) is a metal processing technology
in which parts are produced from metallic powders.
In the usual PM production sequence, the powders are compressed
into the desired shape and then heated to cause
bonding of the particles into a hard, rigid mass. Compression,
called pressing, is accomplished in a press-type machine
using tools designed specifically for the part to be
manufactured. The tooling, which typically consists of a die
and one or more punches, can be expensive, and PM is
therefore most appropriate for medium and high production.
The heating treatment, called sintering, is performed
at a temperature below the melting point of the metal.
History of PM
From the historical point of view, powder metallurgy (PM) has been the
world’s oldest kind of metallurgy, which has been proved by archaeological
discoveries from different parts of the world. For example, powdered gold was
used by Incas for jewelry making and iron powder was known to Egyptians as
early as 3000 years B.C.
The manufacture of iron components was wide-spread around 800 – 600 B.C.
Powder metallurgy started to be used in a larger extent at the turn of
the
19th and 20th century,
namely for industrial making of metals with a high melting point
temperature – tungsten (3422°C) and molybdenum (2623 °C), for which no
suitable melting equipment existed.
 Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb in October 1879 essentially
contributed to the development of tungsten powder metallurgy for a
manufacture of filaments.
The first filaments for electric lamps were based on
osmium, carbon and tantalum, however, they were very brittle. It
was tungsten with its high melting point temperature and favorable
electrical properties which appeared the most suitable material for the
manufacture of the filaments.
 In the early 20th century the first sintered metal-carbon based
compounds started to be produced commercially, featuring high
electrical conductivity of copper (or silver) and excellent
lubricating properties of graphite.
 Since 1920, further composite materials started to be developed
known under the name “hardmetals or cemented (sintered)
carbides”. Their main application has been a manufacture of high
wear resistant tools.
 After the World War II, the attention started to be paid to bearings
and friction materials based on iron and bronze, usually containing
nonmetallic additions. These are metal-oxide based composites,
the so-called cermets, used for special high- temperature purposes.
Considerations that make powder metallurgy an
important commercial technology
 PM parts can be mass produced to net shape or near net shape, eliminating or
reducing the need for subsequent processing.
 The PM process itself involves very little waste of material; about 97% of the
starting powders are converted to product. This compares favorably with casting
 processes in which sprues, runners, and risers are wasted material in the production
cycle.
 Owing to the nature of the starting material in PM, parts having a specified level of
porosity can be made. This feature lends itself to the production of porous metal parts
such as filters and oil-impregnated bearings and gears.
 Certain metals that are difficult to fabricate by other methods can be shaped by
powder metallurgy. Tungsten is an example; tungsten filaments used in incandescent
lamp bulbs are made using PM technology.
 Certain metal alloy combinations and cermets can be formed by PM that cannot be
produced by other methods.
 PM compares favorably with most casting processes in terms of dimensional control
of the product. Tolerances of 0.13 mm (0.005 in) are held routinely.
 PM production methods can be automated for economical production.
Disadvantages associated with PM processing
 tooling and equipment costs are high.
 metallic powders are expensive.
 there are difficulties with storing and handling metal powders
(such as degradation of the metal over time, and fire hazards
with particular metals).
 there are limitations on part geometry because metal powders
do not readily flow laterally in the die during pressing, and
allowances must be provided for ejection of the part from the
die after pressing.
 variations in material density throughout the part may be a
problem in PM, especially for complex part geometries.
PM Work Materials
The largest tonnage (parts as large as 22 kg
(50 lb) can be produced, most PM components
are less than 2.2 kg (5 lb)) of metals for PM
are alloys of iron, steel, and aluminum.
Other PM metals include copper, nickel, and
refractory metals such as molybdenum and
tungsten.
Metallic carbides such as tungsten carbide are
often included within the scope of powder
metallurgy.
A collection of powder metallurgy parts. (Courtesy
of Dorst America, Inc.)
Powder metallurgy deals with a technical
manufacture of powder metals, metalloids, metal
alloys or compounds and their processing to a
finished product shape without melting-down
their main components. Powder metallurgy
includes also a manufacture and processing of
nonmetal powders to products, which exhibit
metallic properties, such as iron oxide based
magnetic materials – the so- called ferrites,
sintered corundum for machining and forming,
some types of semiconductors etc.

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