Powder Metallurgy

The powder metallurgy (P/M) process is a near-net or net-shape manufacturing process that combines the
features of shape-making technology for powder compaction with the development of final material and
design properties (physical and mechanical) during subsequent densification or consolidation processes (e.g.,
sintering). It is critical to recognize this interrelationship at the outset of the design process because a subtle
change in the manufacturing process can cause a significant change in material properties.
Powder Metallurgy is a continually and rapidly evolving technology embracing most metallic and alloy
materials, and a wide variety of shapes. PM is a highly developed method of manufacturing reliable ferrous
and nonferrous parts. The European Market alone has an annual turnover of over Six Billion Euros, with
annual worldwide metal powder production exceeding one million tons.
Created by mixing elemental or alloy powders and compacting the mixture in a die, the resultant shapes are
then heated or "sintered" in a controlled atmosphere furnace to bond the particles metallurgically. The high
precision forming capability of P/M generates components with near net shape, intricate features and good
dimensional precision pieces are often finished without the need of machining.
By producing parts with a homogeneous structure, the P/M process enables manufacturers to make products
that are more consistent and predictable in their behavior across a wide range of applications. In addition, the
P/M Process has a high degree of flexibility allowing the tailoring of the physical characteristics of a product
to suit your specific property and performance requirements.
These include:
 Structural pieces with complex shapes
 Controlled Porosity
 Controlled performance
 Good performance in stress and absorbing of vibrations
 Special properties such as hardness and wear resistance
 Great precision and good surface finish
 Large series of pieces with narrow tolerances
The unique flexibility of the P/M process enables products to be made from materials that are tailored to your
specific needs. By using specially selected materials this capability enables refinements to be engineered into
the mechanical properties of the part.
Economic Advantages
The growth of the P/M industry during the past few decades is largely attributable to the cost savings
associated with net (or near-net) shape processing compared to other metalworking methods, such as casting
or forging. In some cases, the conversion of a cast or wrought component to powder metal provides a cost
savings of 40% or higher. PM typically uses more than 97% of the starting raw material in the finished part
and is specially suited to high volume components production requirements.
There are two principal reasons for using a powder metallurgy product:
1. cost savings compared with alternative processes
2. unique properties attainable only by the PM route

1|Page
In the automotive sector, which consumes about 80% of structural P/M part production, the reason for
choosing P/M is, in the majority of cases, an economic one. P/M process enables products to be made that are
capable of absorbing up to 35% of selected fluids.
In the automotive sector, which consumes about 80% of structural P/M part production, the reason for
choosing P/M is, in the majority of cases, an economic one. P/M process enables products to be made that are
capable of absorbing up to 35% of selected fluids.

Why Cost Effective

Better material utilization with close dimensional tolerances. Conventional metal forming or shaping
processes, against which P/M competes, generally involve significant machining operations from bar stock or
from forged or cast blanks.
These machining operations can be costly and are wasteful of material and energy. This is illustrated in the
figure below which shows that material utilization in excess of 95% can be achieved with close dimensional
tolerances.
Raw material utilization and energy requirements of various manufacturing processes.
This is a comparison between various manufacturing processes (Casting, Cold or Warm Extrusion, Hot Drop
Forging, and Machining Processes) and P/M sintering for a production of notch segments for truck
transmission.
The P/M process has:
 the highest raw material utilization (over 95%)
 and the lowest energy requirement per Kg of finished part
 comparing with the other manufacturing processes

Energy Savings
The energy savings alone contribute significantly to the economic advantage offered by P/M.
An example is given below for a notch segment used in a truck transmission, where PM consumes only around
43% of the energy compared with forging and machining and the number of process steps has been greatly
reduced.

2|Page
Comparison of the PM Process and Forging and Machining (energy requirements and number of
process steps)
This is an example for a notch segment used in a truck transmission, where:

 PM consumes only around 43% of the energy compared with forging and machining, and
 the number of process steps has been greatly reduced
Table 1: PM process vs Forging (Source EAPM)

3|Page
P/M process

4|Page
Powder Shaping Technologies
General categories of powder shaping methods are as follows:
 Binder-assisted extrusion: long structures, small powders, constant cross section, relatively
simple shapes
 Injection molding: complex, small components, high-performance materials
 Slip casting: very large structures, constant wall thickness, low precision
 Tape casting: flat sheets, small powders, very simple shapes

In general, these methods employ binders that hold the particles together in the desired shape; the particles are
then consolidated to higher densities by sintering. The part is shaped at relatively low pressures (compared to
die compaction) with green (unsintered) porosity ranging from ~40 to 60% (ignoring the binder that is
sacrificial). Most binders are polymers such as mineral oil or polyethylene. The following binders are used in
powder shaping:

Extrusion
 56% water, 25% methyl cellulose, 13% glycerin, 6% boric acid
 72% water, 12% hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, 8% glycerin, 4% ammonium polyacrylate, 4%
ammonium stearate
 65% polyethylene glycol, 30% polyvinyl butyryl, 5% stearic acid

Injection molding
 69% paraffin wax, 20% polypropylene, 10% carnauba wax, 1% stearic acid
 75% peanut oil, 25% polyethylene
 50% carnauba wax, 50% polyethylene
 55% paraffin wax, 35% polyethylene, 10% stearic acid
Slip casting
 96% water, 4% sodium lignosulfonate, trace calcium nitrate
 93% water, 4% agar, 3% glycerine
 99% water, 1% ammonium alginate
 97% water, 3% polyvinyl alcohol
Tape casting
 77% water, 9% polyacrylate emulsion, 9% glycerin, 3% ammonium polyacrylate, 2%
 ammonium hydroxide
 80% toluene, 13% polyethylene glycol, 7% polyvinyl butyral
 47% mineral spirits, 24% isopropanol, 8% polyvinyl butyral, 8% dibutyl phthalate, 5%
 polyethylene glycol, 5% stearic acid, 3% menhaden fish oil
 In most cases, the shaping process requires four steps:
 Formation of a powder-binder feedstock
 Shaping of feedstock using customized tooling
 Extraction of the binder
 Sintering densification

5|Page
Markets for Powder Metallurgy components

The automotive sector

The predominant market for Press/Sinter structural Powder Metallurgy parts is the automotive sector. On
average across all geographical regions, around 80% of all Powder Metallurgy structural components are for
automotive applications.

Around 75% of these automotive applications are components for transmissions (automatic and manual) and
for engines.

Transmission applications include:

 Synchronizer system parts

 Gear shift components
 Clutch hubs
 Planetary gear carriers
 Turbine hubs
 Clutch and pocket plates

Engine parts include:

 Pulleys, sprockets and hubs, particularly those associated with the engine timing belt system
 Valve seat inserts
 Valve guides
 PM lobes for assembled camshafts
 Balancer gears
 Main bearing caps
 Engine manifold actuators
 Camshaft bearing caps
 Engine management sensor rings

Powder Metallurgy parts also find application in a range of other automotive systems:

 Oil pumps – particularly gears

 Shock absorbers – piston rod guides, piston valves, end valves
 Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) – sensor rings
 Exhaust systems – flanges, oxygen sensor bosses
 Chassis components
 Variable Valve Timing systems
 Continuously Variable Transmissions
 Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) systems
 Turbochargers

Other markets for Powder Metallurgy structural parts

There are other important markets for Powder Metallurgy structural parts, where components are required in
large production quantities. The second largest structural parts market is in DIY tools and domestic
appliances.
6|Page
Bearings and various gear parts are examples of Powder Metallurgy applications in DIY power tools and
domestic “white goods”.

Metal-graphite carbon brushes are also used extensively in electrical motors and generators for domestic
appliances, automobiles and power tools.

Other Powder Metallurgy structural part markets include:

 Business machines
 Leisure and garden products
 Industrial motors and controls
 Hardware – lock parts, latches etc.

Aerospace applications
Aero-engine and land-based gas turbine applications

Aero-engine and land-based gas turbine applications for Powder Metallurgy products require extremely good
properties and the PM-based process routes in this sector generally incorporate Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP).

For nickel-based superalloy turbine discs, processing from powders has become necessary to allow the next
increments in product performance, through enhanced microstructural control and compositional capability
compared with ingot-route material. The Powder Metallurgy process generally involves isothermal forging of
a HIP billet, although “as-HIP” parts can also be used where creep strength is the sole design criterion.

Net-shape HIP titanium Powder Metallurgy products have been developed for turbine applications where
conventional processing (involving machining) is very wasteful of material and the Powder Metallurgy route
can offer cost benefits. The addition of features to forged or cast parts using powder-based additive
manufacturing techniques is also being applied for similar reasons.

Airframe sector

There is also growing interest in the use of titanium Powder Metallurgy in the airframe sector, either for cost
saving in applications already using wrought-route titanium or for potential weight reduction in replacing steel
parts.

Oil and gas industry

In the Oil and Gas sector, hard metal and diamond cutting tools are regularly used for oil and gas exploration.
HIP powder products in a range of austenitic and duplex stainless steels are also being increasingly used in
off-shore applications, including manifolds and valves. HIP- and laser-cladding techniques are being used to
deposit abrasion resistant coatings on a range of off-shore components.

Hard metal and diamond cutting tools are also used for machining operations is many industrial sectors
including automotive, aerospace and general engineering.

Healthcare sector
There are many devices in the healthcare sector that contain components that can be made by powder-based
routes:

7|Page
 MRI scanners used large quantities of rare earth permanent magnets, processed from powders.
 Many surgical instruments and dental implants are produced by Metal Injection Moulding.
 There are growing interests in producing customised medical implants using additive manufacturing and
in producing porous implant structures (to match bone stiffness and to aid osteo-integration) by PM
processing (MIM, Press/Sinter PM etc.) of materials containing space-holder additions that are removed
after forming.

8|Page