LECTURE 1: POWDER METALLURGY PROCESS

Why Powder Metallurgy is important ?

▪ PM parts can be mass produced to net shape or near net shape,

eliminating or reducing the need for subsequent machining
▪ PM process wastes very little material - ~ 97% of starting
powders are converted to product
▪ PM parts can be made with a specified level of porosity, to
produce porous metal parts such as filters, oil-impregnated
bearings and gears
▪ Certain metals that are difficult to fabricate by other methods
can be shaped by powder metallurgy, for ex: Tungsten filaments
for incandescent lamp bulbs are made by PM
▪ PM production methods can be automated for economical
production
▪ Certain alloy combinations and cermets made by PM cannot be
produced in other ways
Limitations of PM Technique

▪ High tooling and equipment costs

▪ Metallic powders are expensive
▪ Problems in storing and handling metal powders due to
degradation over time, fire hazards with certain metals
▪ Limitations on part geometry because metal powders do
not readily flow laterally in the die during pressing
▪ Variations in density throughout part may be a problem,
especially for complex geometries
P/M Technique

• The limit to the size of a PM component is based on the

final density and the available press size.
• Typical values are the projected area (area
perpendicular to the pressing direction)which is
usually between 4 and 16,000 mm2, with length
between 0.8 to 150 mm, although 75 mm is the
practical maximum.
• There are parts weighing above 10 kg in production today.

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P/M Technique

Flow chart of the basic powder metallurgy process

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PM Work Materials

▪ Largest tonnage of metals are alloys of iron, steel, and

aluminum
▪ Other PM metals include copper, nickel, and refractory
metals such as Molybdenum and Tungsten
▪ Metallic carbide inserts of Tungsten carbide and
Tantalum carbide are also manufactured using PM
technique
PM Parts..
Engineering Powders

1. A powder can be defined as a finely divided

particulate solid
2. Engineering powders include metals and ceramics
3. Geometric features of engineering powders:
▪ Particle size and distribution
▪ Particle shape
▪ Surface area
Measuring Particle Size

• Most common method uses screens of different mesh sizes

• Mesh count - refers to the number of openings per linear inch of
screen
• A mesh count of 200 means there are 200 openings per linear
inch
• Since the mesh is square, the count is equal in both directions,
and the total number of openings per square inch is (200)2 =
40,000
• Higher mesh count = smaller particle size
Particle Size

In general, the openings in the screen are less than the reciprocal
of the mesh count because of the thickness of the wire in the
screen.
Assuming that the limiting dimension of the particle is
equal to the screen opening,

where PS = particle size, mm; MC = mesh count, openings per

linear inch; and tw = wire thickness of screen mesh, mm, K is a
constant whose value is 25.4 when the size units are in mm
Screen Mesh for Sorting Particle Sizes
Numerical

1) A screen with 200 mesh count has wires with a diameter of 0.0533 mm.
Determine the (a) maximum particle size that will pass through the wire mesh
and (b) proportion of open space in the screen.

Solution: (a) By Equation, particle size PS = 25.4/MC − tw

= 25.4/200 − 0.0533 = 0.127 − 0.0533 = 0.0737 mm

(b) There are 200 x 200 = 40,000 openings in one square inch of the mesh or
(25.4)2 = 645.16 mm2. From part (a), each opening is 0.0737 mm on a side,
thus each opening is (0.0737)2 = 0.005432 mm2. The total open area in one
square inch of mesh = 40,000(0.005432 mm2) = 217.27 mm2. This is total
open space.
Therefore, the percent open space in one square inch of mesh =
217.27/645.16 = 33.68%.
Particle Shapes in PM
Shape Factor

In general, the area-to-volume ratio can be expressed for any

particle shape—spherical or non-spherical as follows:

where Ks = shape factor; D in the general case = diameter of a sphere of

equivalent volume as the non-spherical particle, mm (in).
Thus, Ks = 6.0 for a sphere. For particle shapes other than spherical, Ks >
6.
Powder Metallurgy (PM)

▪ It is a metal processing technology in which parts are

produced from metallic powders
▪ Usual PM production sequence:
▪ Pressing - powders are compressed into desired
shape to produce green compact
▪ Accomplished in a press using punch-and-die
▪ Sintering – green compacts are heated to bond the
particles into a hard, rigid mass
▪ Temperatures are below the melting point

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Interparticle Friction and Powder Flow

Friction between particles

affects ability of a powder to
flow readily and pack tightly
A common test of interparticle
friction is the angle of repose
formed by a pile of powders
poured from a narrow funnel
Larger angles mean greater
interparticle friction
Observations about Interparticle Friction

1. Smaller particle sizes generally show greater friction and

steeper angles
2. Spherical shapes have the lowest interparticle friction
3. As shape deviates from spherical, friction between particles
tends to increase
4. Easier flow of particles correlates with lower interparticle
friction
5. Lubricants are often added to powders to reduce interparticle
friction and facilitate flow during pressing
Particle Density Measures

1. True density - density of the true volume of the material

The density of the material if the powders were melted into a
solid mass
2. Bulk density - density of the powders in the loose state after
pouring
Due to presence of pores between the particles, bulk density
is less than the true density
Packing Factor of the Particles

1. Typical values for loose powders are 0.5 to 0.7

2. If powders of various sizes are present, smaller powders fit
into spaces between larger ones resulting in higher packing
factor
3. Packing factor can also be increased by vibrating the
powders, causing them to settle more tightly
4. Application of pressure during compaction greatly increases
packing factor of powders
Porosity

1. It is defined as the ratio of volume of the pores (empty

spaces) in the powder to the bulk volume
2. In principle, Porosity + Packing factor = 1.0
3. The issue is complicated by possible existence of closed
pores in some of the particles. If internal pore volumes are
included in above porosity, then the above equation holds
good.
Compaction Force

The required force for pressing depends on the projected area of

the PM part (area in the horizontal plane for a vertical press)
multiplied by the pressure needed to compact the given metal
powders. Mathematically,

where F = required force, N ; Ap = projected area of the part, mm2

and pc = compaction pressure required for the given powder
material, MPa
1) A bearing of simple geometry is to be pressed out of bronze
powders, using a compacting pressure of 250 MPa. Outside
diameter of the bearing = 30 mm, inside diameter = 18 mm, and
length = 15 mm. What is the required press tonnage to perform
this operation?

Solution: Projected area of part Ap = 0.25(Do2 − Di2) =

0.25(302 − 182) = 452.4 mm2
F = Appc = 452.4(250) = 113,097 N