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Sintering of Powdered Copper: Brendan Short, Brendan Barrett, Jason Gamble Engineering 45, SRJC Fall 2011
Sintering of Powdered Copper: Brendan Short, Brendan Barrett, Jason Gamble Engineering 45, SRJC Fall 2011
Sintering of Powdered Copper: Brendan Short, Brendan Barrett, Jason Gamble Engineering 45, SRJC Fall 2011
Solid state sintering is the process of taking metal in the form of a powder and placing it into a mold or die. Once compacted into the mold the material is placed under a high
heat for a long period of time. Under heat, bonding takes place between the porous aggregate particles and once cooled the powder has bonded to form a solid piece.
Sintering can be considered to proceed in three stages. During the first, neck growth proceeds rapidly but powder particles remain discrete. During the second, most
densification occurs, the structure recrystallizes and particles diffuse into each other. During the third, isolated pores tend to become spheroidal and densification continues at
a much lower rate. The words Solid State in Solid State Sintering simply refer to the state the material is in when it bonds, solid meaning the material was not turned molten to
bond together as alloys are formed.[11]
One recently developed technique for high-speed sintering involves passing high electrical current through a powder to preferentially heat the asperities. Most of the energy
serves to melt that portion of the compact where migration is desirable for densification; comparatively little energy is absorbed by the bulk materials and forming machinery.
Naturally, this technique is not applicable to electrically insulating powders.
To allow efficient stacking of product in the furnace during sintering and prevent parts sticking together, many manufacturers separate ware using Ceramic Powder Separator
Sheets. These sheets are available in various materials such as alumina, zirconia and magnesia. They are also available in fine medium and coarse particle sizes. By matching
the material and particle size to the ware being sintered, surface damage and contamination can be reduced while maximizing furnace loading.
Source: Todd, Robert H., Allen, Dell K., Alting, Leo, "Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide", 1st Edition, Industrial Press Inc., New York 1994, ISBN 0-8311-3049-0
How Does Sintering Work?
Sintering works by atomic diffusion of powdered
materials which is greatly accelerated at high
temperatures
In more detail:
In more detail:
Most, if not all, metals can be sintered. This applies especially to pure metals produced in vacuum
which suffer no surface contamination. Sintering under atmospheric pressure requires the usage of a
protective gas, quite often endothermic gas. Many nonmetallic substances also sinter, such
as glass, alumina, zirconia, silica, magnesia, lime, ice, beryllium oxide, ferric oxide, and
various organic polymers. Sintering, with subsequent reworking, can produce a great range of
material properties. Changes in density, alloying, or heat treatments can alter the physical
characteristics of various products. For instance, the Young's Modulus En of sintered iron powders
remains insensitive to sintering time, alloying, or particle size in the original powder, but depends
upon the density of the final product:
Plastic materials are formed by sintering for applications that
require materials of specific porosity. Sintered plastic porous
components are used in filtration and to control fluid and gas
flows. Sintered plastics are used in applications requiring
wicking properties, such as marking pen nibs. Sintered ultra
high molecular weight polyethylene materials are used
as ski and snowboard base materials. The porous texture
allows wax to be retained within the structure of the base
material, thus providing a more durable wax coating.
90 min 6 hr
1500 Degree Progression
10 min 30 min
60 min 6 hr
Expected Results:
References:
"Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports : Consolidation/synthesis of materials by electric current activated/assisted
sintering". ScienceDirect. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
Todd, Robert H., Allen, Dell K., Alting, Leo, "Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide", 1st Edition, Industrial Press Inc.,
New York 1994, ISBN 0-8311-3049-0
“The Ultimate Source for Information on Copper and Copper Alloys” http://www.copper.org
Mepco (The Metal Powder Company Limited) Materials Safety and Information Sheet