Powder metallurgy is a process that produces parts from metallic or nonmetallic powders by compacting and sintering. Key steps include blending powders, compacting them into a green part, and sintering to bond particles without melting. Powders are made through atomization, mechanical processes, or chemical methods. Parts have applications where net-shape is important, materials are expensive, or other fabrication is difficult. Design considerations for powder metallurgy parts include simple shapes, thick walls, and features aligned with ejection direction.
Powder metallurgy is a process that produces parts from metallic or nonmetallic powders by compacting and sintering. Key steps include blending powders, compacting them into a green part, and sintering to bond particles without melting. Powders are made through atomization, mechanical processes, or chemical methods. Parts have applications where net-shape is important, materials are expensive, or other fabrication is difficult. Design considerations for powder metallurgy parts include simple shapes, thick walls, and features aligned with ejection direction.
Powder metallurgy is a process that produces parts from metallic or nonmetallic powders by compacting and sintering. Key steps include blending powders, compacting them into a green part, and sintering to bond particles without melting. Powders are made through atomization, mechanical processes, or chemical methods. Parts have applications where net-shape is important, materials are expensive, or other fabrication is difficult. Design considerations for powder metallurgy parts include simple shapes, thick walls, and features aligned with ejection direction.
Powder metallurgy is a process that produces parts from metallic or nonmetallic powders by compacting and sintering. Key steps include blending powders, compacting them into a green part, and sintering to bond particles without melting. Powders are made through atomization, mechanical processes, or chemical methods. Parts have applications where net-shape is important, materials are expensive, or other fabrication is difficult. Design considerations for powder metallurgy parts include simple shapes, thick walls, and features aligned with ejection direction.
Definition Powder Metallurgy (P/M) is a processing technology in which parts are produced by compacting and sintering metallic and/or nonmetallic powders. P/M parts can produce net shape or near net shape Can eliminate or reduce the need for subsequent machining.
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Basic Processing Steps
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Some typical applications of P/M are:
production of net-shape or near-net shape parts made of expensive materials. parts with porosity such as filters can be made. bearings especially so-called permanently lubricated bearings parts of certain metals that are difficult to fabricate by other methods (carbide tool inserts, tungsten, ceramics, etc.)
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Parts Made by Powder-Metallurgy
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Figure (a) Examples of typical parts made by powder-metallurgy processes. (b) Upper trip lever for a commercial sprinkler made by P/M. This part is made of an unleaded brass alloy; it replaces a die-cast part with a 60% savings. (c) Main-bearing metalpowder caps for 3.8 and 3.1 liter General Motors automotive engines.
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Limitations High tooling costs Expensive raw materials (powders) Variation in material density and mechanical properties across the volume Difficult to manufacture long products Difficult storing and handling of powders (degradation with time and fire hazard with particular metallic powders).
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Classification of powders The procedure of separating the powders by size is called classification of powders. Powders are classified by passing them through a series of screens of progressively smaller mesh size.
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Process of powder classification
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Particle Shapes in Metal Powders
Figure Particle shapes in metal powders, and the processes by which they are produced. Iron powders are produced by many of these processes. Open
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Powder Particles
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Figure (a) Scanning-electron-microscopy photograph of iron-powder particles made by
atomization. (b) Nickel-based superalloy (Udimet 700) powder particles made by the rotating electrode process; Open
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Particle size, distribution and shape
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Particle shape influences on processing
characteristics. Shape is described in terms of aspect ratio or shape index. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the largest dimension to the smallest dimension of the particle. Shape index, or shape factor (SF), is a measure of surface area to the volume of a particle.
Production of metallic powders
Atomization
Atomization involves conversation of molten metal into a spray of droplets that solidifies into powder.
Methods of metal-powder production by atomization: (a) gas atomization; (b) water atomization; (c) centrifugal atomization with a spinning disk or cup, and (d) atomization with a rotating consumable electrode;
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Mechanical Process
Figure Methods of mechanical process to obtain fine particles: (a) roll
crushing, (b) ball mill, and (c) hammer milling.
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POWDER METALLURGY PROCESS
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The condition of powders during the three primary
P/M operations
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The conventional P/M process sequence: (1) blending, (2) compacting, and (3) sintering; (a) shows the condition of powders, and (b) shows the schematics of operation
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Blending and mixing
Blending: mixing powder of the same chemical composition but different sizes Mixing: combining powders of different chemistries.
some other ingredients are usually added:
Lubricants: to reduce the friction between particles- improve flow into dies & die life Binders: to achieve enough strength before sintering Open
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Compaction Blended powers are pressed in dies under high pressure to form them into the required shape. The work part after compaction is called a green compact or simply a green, the word green meaning not yet fully processed.
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(a)Compaction of metal powder to form a bushing.
(b)A typical tool and die set for compacting a spur gear
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Pressure and density distributions after compaction
As a result of compaction, the density of the part, called the green density is much greater than the starting material density, but is not uniform in the green. The density and therefore mechanical properties vary across the part volume and depend on pressure in compaction:
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The density of a green
compact depends on the pressure applied Important factor in density is the size distribution of the particles If all particles are the same size then there will always be porosity (ex. box filled tennis balls will always have space in between them)
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The higher the
density, the higher the strength and elastic modulus The higher the density, the higher the amount of solid metal in the same volume and then the higher the strength
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There are different ways to improve the density
distribution
Application of double acting press and two moving punches in
conventional compaction
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Sintering Compressed metal powder is heated in a controlled-atmosphere furnace to a temperature below its melting point, but high enough to allow bonding of the particles:
(a) Typical heat treatment cycle in sintering; and (b) schematic cross-section of a Last Updated:13 October 2016 sintering furnace continuous Open
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The primary driving force for sintering is not the fusion of material, but formation and growth of bonds between the particles, as illustrated in a series of sketches showing on a microscopic scale the changes that occur during sintering of metallic powders.
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Mechanisms for Sintering Metal Powders
Figure Schematic illustration of mechanism for sintering metal powders
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Sintering metal powders
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Sintering Time and Temperature for Metals
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Poor and Good
Designs of P/M Parts
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Figure Examples of P/M parts
showing poor and good designs. Note that sharp radii and reentry corners should be avoided and that threads and transverse holes have to be produced separately by additional machining operations. 26
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS IN POWDER
METALLURGY The next design requirements are essential for P/M parts:
The shape of the parts must be as simple as possible.
PM parts should be made with the widest tolerances.
Part walls generally should not be less than 1.5 mm thick.
Hole and grooves must be parallel to the direction of ejection:
