An Introduction to

Powder Metallurgy
(PM)
Joseph Tunick Strauss
HJE Company, Inc.

An Introduction to Powder Metallurgy (PM)

I
What is PM and Why is it Used
II History of Powder Metallurgy
III General Summary of the Science of PM
IV Net Shape PM Manufacturing Processes
Press and Sinter
Powder Forging (PF)

Metal Injection Molding (MIM)

Rapid Manufacturing

Near Net Shape/Bulk PM Processes

HIP/CIP (Hot/Cold Isostatic Pressing)
Powder Rolling, Extrusion,
Spray Forming, Thermal Spray

I What is PM and Why is it Used?

PM is the use of metal powders in industrial

applications

PM: The use of metal (or ceramic) powders in

industrial applications
Consolidation into dense parts & shapes
Structural / machine parts
Cutting tools
Oil impregnated bushings, filters

Fusion / Welding
Solder and brazing pastes
Welding and thermal spray
Dental Amalgams
Rapid Manufacturing

Other
Conductive Inks
Chemical
Agricultural
Food and pharmaceuticals

I What is PM and Why is it Used?

Casting, Forging, Machining,

Powder Metallurgy
Which method to choose?
Quality, Quantity, Tolerance,
Geometry, Material, Environment,
Labor quantity, Skill level, Equipment,
etc

LOWEST

COST!

Why PM?

Cost advantage
Lower manufacturing costs

Only option

Cemented Carbides
Filters, bushings
Diamond tools
Composites

Better properties
Ni-based superalloys

I What is PM and Why is it Used?

I Introduction (cont.)

POWDER METALLURGY (PM):

Full-scale Industrialization in past 50 years

>$2.5 Billion per year in North America

P/M Processing has Shown Continuous Annual

Growth for the Past 50 Years by
1) Replacing Existing Technologies
2) "DFM: Designed for Manufacturability"
Keep in mind that powder cost more than equivalent
cast or wrought material

II History of PM

30,000 years ago: Cave paintings

3000 BC: Egypt/Africa iron implements
300 AD: India Delhi Column
1700: France, LPS Pt
1829: UK, Wollaston Pt: Press, sinter, forge
1900: Ni powder as catalysts
1910: US, Coolidge process for tungsten
1920s: Germany, Cemented carbides
1920s: Porous parts for self-lubricating bearings, filters
1920s: Inductor cores from iron powder
1930s: Press and sinter oil pump gears
1970s: MIM (Metal Injection Molding)
2000s: Rapid Manufacturing with metal powder

III Summary of the Science of PM

PM consists of three fundamental steps:

A) Powder Production
B) Powder Consolidation
C) Sintering

III Summary of the Science of PM

II General Summary of The Science of PM

A) Powder Production
Atomization

Chemical, reduction
Carbonyl process
Oxide reduction

Electrolytic, precipitation
Mechanical

III Summary of the Science of PM

II General Summary of The Science of PM

A) Powder production by Atomization:

Disintegration of liquid stream by a second fluid

Gas Atomization:
Spherical powder particles
Good "flowability"

Water Atomization:
Irregular powder particles
Good compactability

Atomization Schematics
Water Atomization

Water

Induction Coil

Water

Gas Atomization

Schematic of
Gas atomization system

Gas Atomized
Silver Alloy

Schematic of a
water atomization
System

Water
Atomized
Powder

III Summary of the Science of PM

Other powder production methods:

Reduction, reaction, precipitation, and electrolytic
Fe2O3 (s) + 3H2 (g) 2Fe (s) +3H2O (g)
Fe(CO)5 (g) + catalysis Fe (s) + 5CO (g)
Ni(CO)4(g) Ni(s) + 4CO(g)

Ni (s) + Al (s) NiAl (s)

2AgNO3 (aq) + 2K2SO3 (aq) 2Ag (s) + K2SO4 (aq) + 2K2NO3 (aq)
SO2 (aq)
Cu++ + 2e Cu (s)

Mechanical: Milling

Powder Characteristics

Particle size and size distribution

Particle shape
Physical properties
Hardness and Ductility

Chemical
Composition, reactivity, and impurities

Bulk properties
Flow properties, apparent density, tap density,
compressibility, and green strength

III Summary of the Science of PM

Materials processed via Powder Metallurgy:

Conventional:
Ferrous alloys, stainless steels, Cu, Al, WC/Co
Specialty:
Superalloys, tool steels, refractory metals,
Be, Ti, precious metals, MMC (Metal Matrix Composites)

III Summary of the Science of PM

II General Summary of The Science of PM

B) Powder Consolidation
Impart shape to net or near net to powder mass
Net Shape:

Die Compaction
MIM (Metal Injection Molding)
Rapid Manufacturing
Near Net Shape:
HIP/CIP (Hot/Cold Isostatic Pressing)
Hot Pressing
Extrusion
Rolling
Thermal Spray

III Summary of the Science of PM

C) Sintering: Heat treatment to promote metallurgical integrity

Metallurgical bonding of powder particles

Solid state diffusion
Liquid phase

Thermal activated event

Atomic transport
Particle rearrangement
Particle growth, pore elimination

Results
Densification, yield useful physical properties (UTS, YS,
ductility, impact strength, and fatigue strength)

III Summary of the Science of PM

III Summary of the Science of PM

Sintering Furnaces:
Continuous or Batch
Controlled Atmosphere:
inert, reducing, vacuum
Precise temperature control
Cost-intensive operation

IV Net Shape Processing:

Direct process to final shape
Eliminate manufacturing operations
"Chipless" manufacturing,
Low waste/scrap

IV Net Shape Processes

Die Compaction

Use water atomized powder (irregular shape)

Rigid tooling: tool steel, WC/Co
Pressures up to 60 tons/square inch
Production > 10,000 parts
High tolerance, 0.001 "/" possible
High productivity
Controlled porosity, density (85% to 90%)

Axis-symmetric
No undercuts
No off-axis attributes
L/D <5

IV Net Shape Processes

III PM Manufacturing Techniques

MIM (Metal Injection Molding)

Plastic Injection Molding + Powder Metallurgy (PM)

Complex Shapes
High density metal parts (> 95%)
Economy of Scale (high productivity)
Good tolerance, .003 "/" possible, .005-.008 "/" typ.
Competes with investment casting
and discrete machining

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IV

Applications, General Case Studies:

Orthodontia Brackets
MIM vs. Discrete Machining and Investment casting:

Elimination of all (most) machining operations

Better material utilization (no chips, sprues, etc)
Able to produce smaller parts than investment cast
Able to produce more complex geometries than machining
Massive reduction in labor and labor quality

IV Net Shape Processes

III PM Manufacturing Techniques

Powder Preform Forging

Press & Sinter + Close die forging

Less complex shapes than P&S

High density metal parts (> 99.5%)
Economy of Scale (high productivity)
Good tolerance, .001 "/" possible, weight tolerance
Closed-die Flashless forging

Necessary for ultimate dynamic properties

Schematic of Powder Preform Forging

PM Press-Sinter-Forge vs. Power Forge

Better material utilization

Fewer tool sets
Reduction of secondary machining operations

Large end bearing bore and mating flats

Eliminate balancing

518-792-8733

IV Net Shape Processes

Introduction, History

Rapid Manufacturing:
1) CAD (Computer Aided Design) representation of the part
3D solid model, slice into layers.

2) Easily manipulated build material (powder)

to be distributed layer by layer.
3) Precision scanning to fix the build material at each
layer.

Evren YASA
Ph.D. Candidate
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
K.U.Leuven, Netherlands

Scanned Laser Fusing and Sintering (SLFS)

General Operating Principle
Laser
Galvanometer-Scanner
with f-Theta lens
z
Recoating
system

y
x

part

Building
platform

Powder
reservoir

Dispenser
platform

Turbomeca,
PEP

EOS Direct Metal Example parts

Prototype helicopter stator ring

in DirectSteel 20

Ron Arad Associates

72 turbine wheels DSH20 / 20m

layers. Build time 28h 15 min
Blade thickness appr. 0.5mm

Goldas

225 parts DM20 / 20m layers in 96 hours

(ave <30 minutes per part).

EBM parts

Prometal (Bathsheeba Grossman)

V Near Net Shape/Bulk PM Processes

Near Net Shape Processing:

Product close to final shape or bulk (ingot)

Eliminate many manufacturing operations
Produce preforms, blanks, billet, rod, sheet
Low productivity vs. die compaction or MIM
Difficult to process materials and powders
Continuous processing, large size scale

V Near Net Shape/Bulk PM Processes

Isostatic Pressing (hot,cold)

CIP (Cold Isostatic Pressing):
Room Temperature
Up to 60,000 psi
Flexible rubber tooling
Generally low tolerances
Requires post sintering
90+% density
HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing)
Up to 2000 C
Metal cans
Bulk shape (poor tolerances)
High densities (96-100%)

V Near Net Shape/Bulk PM Processes

CIP:
Cold Isostatic Pressing
Simple or complex
shapes
Low tolerances
Precursor to other
processes:
Extrusion, Swaging,
Forging, Rolling, etc.

Examples of HIPd parts

V Near Net Shape/Bulk PM Processes

Hot Pressing
Similar

to Die Compaction but with

simultaneous heating/sintering

Use any form of powder

Relies on plastic deformation at high temperature
Rigid tooling: graphite, ceramics, steel, TZM
Pressures up to 2.5 ton/square inch (graphite tooling)
Very low production rate vs. Die Compaction
High density (>98%)
Composites, layered/gradient materials

Laboratory
Hot Press

Mokume Gane

Before
After
Engineer

After
Artist

Powder Rolling

Powder Extrusion

Simultaneous
consolidation and
bonding
Rod, billet
Can or bare

Thermal Spray

Spray Forming

PM is so easy even a child can understand it.

Questions?