IAR Journal of Engineering and Technology

ISSN Print : 2708-5155 | ISSN Online : 2708-5163

Frequency : Bi-Monthly
Language : English
Origin : Kenya
Website : https://www.iarconsortium.org/journal-info/IARJET

Introduction to Powder Metallurgy: A Review

Article History Abstract: The study of powder metallurgy is the new generation technology as compared
with other manufacturing methods for engineering and allied components. This technique is
Received: 30.04.2021 very old from melting and casting. The Qutub Minar is one of the living examples of
Revision: 10.05.2021 powder metallurgy technique. Today the powder metallurgy have the high growth rate by
saving in materials and machining cost, high productivity and often gives improved
Accepted: 20.05.2021
perform ance by improved structure and properties. The modern powder met allurgy
Published: 30.05.2021 technology started in eighteen century for production of carbides, porous bearings and
Author Details filters. During the World War-II there lot of development in the ferrous, non ferrous and
Mohammad Faris *1, Dr. Mohd Suhaib 2 & composite materials. In the area of the structural it is head to head competition with other
methods of manufacturing. It is the choice when requirements for strength, wear resistance
Aasiya Prveen 3 high operating temperatures. Powder metallurgy is the more precision production tool as
Authors Affiliations compare to casting. By this process non equilibrium materials such as amorphous,
1 microcrystalline/ metastable alloys also produce by powder metallurgy route. This process is
Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. more economical when production rates are higher and it’s tooling cost quit appreciable.
Today the automotive industry, merine, hardware tools, business machines, military
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Department of Mechani cal Engineering, Jamia products and aerospace industries are the largest consumers of P/M products. The process of
Millia Isamia, New Delhi, India powder metallurgy is ecologically clean, does not generate smoke or any waste and it is the
future tool of production. In this paper an attempt have been made to revi ew the powder
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Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical metallurgy production process and its state of the art applications.
Engineering ,Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Keywords: Qutub Minar, Composite materials, P/M products, green manufacturing,
Corresponding Author* Powder Metallurgy.
Mohammad Faris
How to Cite the Article:
Mohammad Faris & Mohd Suhaib. (2021); I. INTRODUCTION
Introduction to Powder Metallurgy: A Review. IAR Powder Metallurgy is the art and science of manufacturing fine metal
J Eng Tech; 2021; 2(3): 1-7
powders consolidating and fabricating them into desired shape and size.
The modern powder metallurgy technology commenced in the 1920s with the production of tungsten carbide and mass
production porous bronze bushes for bearings. During the world war-II the many verity of ferrous and non ferrous
materials was developed until the 1960s.this method expand rapidly do to economical processing, unique properties and
captive processes. The alloys and multiphase components, nonequllibrium materials with wide combination of properties
are easily processed by powder metallurgy techniques.

Today the automotive industrial sector is biggest consumer of powder metallurgical components. Hardware, garden
equipped industries business machines and military products are another area of Powder Metallurgy. Powder Metallurgy
is the choice of today and future to acquire more strength, wear resistance and high operating temperatures.

The growing demand of powder metallurgy components can be easily seen in Automobiles, house hold items and
aerospace applications.

II. PROCESS STEPS OF POWDER METALLURGY

1. Preparation of Metal Powder / Alloy Powder
2. Mixing and Blending
3. Compacting/Briquetting
4. Sintering
5. Hot Pressing
6. Other Operations

The particle size should be in the range of 10 -100 microns. The size of the particle, purity and shape of the particles
depends upon the method of the manufacture. The significance methods of powder reduction may be classified as
1. Chemical reduction methods
2. Physical Reduction methods
3. Mechanical Reduction Methods

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2.1 Chemical Reduction method
That process involves oxides halide or other salt of
method this process may be carry from solid state or
chemical decomposition. The hoganas process typical
method of such type production in which the ore of pure
magnetite (Fe3O4) found in Northern Sweden reduce
with the carbonaceous material. in this process the
particles of ore placed in the centre of cylindrical
ceramic containers and surrounded by the concentric
layers of coke and limestone. Then the container pushed
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through a fuel fired tunnel by producing the carbon
mono from coke reduces ore into iron. That process
takes place at 1200C for 24 hrs. Another method
producing powder by reduction with hydrogen.
2.2 Physical Reduction Method
1. Electrolytic method
2. Atomization process done by three ways gas, water
and centrifugal. In the gas atomization. The atomizing
media is Nitrogen, Argon and Air.
Mohammad Faris & Mohd Suhaib; IAR J Eng Tech; Vol-2, Iss- 3 (May-Jun, 2021):1-7
The electrolytic method is comprehensively used for preparation of cupper,iron, nickel and beryllium powders. This
method yields a high purity metal with good quality P/M processing.

2.3 Mechanical Reduction Method 2.4 Mixing and Blending

This method not much used primarily for the metal
powder production. The formation of metal powder by
the this method depends on four basic techniques such
as materials have easy to fracture hard and brittle metal
alloys & ceramics, reactive materials and common
metals like iron and Aluminium.
Mixing the powders in the desired extent are
homogeneously to get the best results especially when
alloys are pretend.Volatalizing and lubricating agents
are also mixed to meet good porosity and lubricity.The
mixing time set according to experimental procedure.
Sometimes mixing may be avoided due to fear of
particle size reduce.

(Centrifugal ball mill)

2.5 Compaction/ Briquetting
Compaction is the important step in powder
processing for compacting the loose powder into the
desired shape with specific strength. That process is
complete without the application of heat and loose
powder converted into desired shape.
The powder compaction pressure take place by two
ways one is without pressure (loose powder sintering in
mould, vibratory compression, slip casting, slurry
casting, injuction moulding) and another is with
pressure(cold die compaction, explosive compaction,
powder extrusion, powder rolling)

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(Compaction Press) ( Punch & die set for Powder Compaction)

2.6 Sintering
It is the process of consolidating either loose aggrigate of powder or green compact of desired composition under the
controlled condition of temperature and time.
Sintering are basically four types
1. Solid state sintering
2. Liquid state sintering
3. Active sintering
4. Rection sintering

Particles in contact Formation of necks, Final sintered geometry

2.7 Secondry operations

These operations are the conventional and non conventional machining operations like turning,grinding polishing,
joining coating etc.

III. POWDER METALLURGY IN INDIA

The story of P/M started in Indian in 1950s for the production of pours components by two companies named as
Siemetals Ltd, Mumbai and Flexicons Ltd, Udhana.The IIT Bombay BARC and DMRL take place very important role
for in academics and research of P/M. Today 80 % of P/M parts are used in the automotive industry.

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(P/M parts used in Automobiles)

The market of P/M parts increasing in India
continuously with high growth rate. According to report
of Asian powder Metallurgy Association (APMA ) in
2009 the market of P/M parts of Auto sector was 77% .
India is the fourth largest market of Automotive
industry including passenger, commercial, two and four
wheelers. Our India is producing 31Million vehicles per
year.the demand of sintered parts also increases 22%
and further chance of increasing according to the
market.

(P/M part classification)

IV. COMPARISON WITH PRODUCTION V. ADVANTAGES OF POWDER METALLURGY

METHODS 1. Rate of the production high.
For the production of any required shaped body 2. Highly complicated objects easily manufactured.
several processing methods are competing. The 3. It is highly clear and quieter operation for longer life.
selection of the methods takes place on basis of certain 4. Mechanical operations are not required due the good
criteria. The criterion is as accuracy and surface finish of the object.
1. Material Utilization 5. Life of the component part is longer.
2. Weight of the Parts 6. Metal and non metal parts can be mixed in any
3. Shaping proportion.
4. Tolerances 7. The object produce are relatively more uniform and
5. Purity of Material free from defects such as voids, blow holes.
6. Microstructure 8. Excellent reproducibility and improved physical
7. Surface Roughness properties.
8. Manufacturing Cost 9. Antifriction strips can be made by powder metallurgy
techniques.
10. Porous parts can also be produce.

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11. There is the overall economy as material wastage is
negligible.
12. Composition structure and properties can be
controlled easily.
13. A wide range of parts with special electrical and
magnetic properties can be produce.
14. Highly skilled labour is not required.
VI. DISADVANTAGES OF POWDER
METALLURGY
1. 1. It is difficult to secure exceptionally high purity
powder with satisfactory quality and it also
expensive to produce such type of powders.
2. It is unprofitable to produce parts in low quantity
due to great expense of tooling and equipments.
3. Heavy investment needed for press for making
larger parts.
4. 4. Part produce by powder metallurgy possess poor
plastic properties e.g plasticity, elongation.
5. Dies used must be of high accuracy and capable of
withstanding high pressure and temperature.
6. Some power may present explosion hazards.
7. The impossibility of having a completely dense
product.
8. The necessity of protective atmospheres.
. Prepared by Mechanical Alloying. Materials. 2019.
VII. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE SCOPEOF
POWDER METALLURGY
There is the close interaction between technological
developments and societies altitude. The scientific and
technological development is responsible for the
today’s civilization. The technology gives the good
response by its clean formula and stops the talks of
society pollution, material and energy conservation.
Many manufacturing methods metal powder are
recycling techniques that utilize the scrap as a raw
material for producing the powder. Mostly the atomized
iron powder is made from scrap iron. Hydrogen reduce
iron powder is made from mill scale, a waste product of
steel rolling mill. The copper powder is made from
scrap copper or from wire drawing scale or from mine
water. During the sintering operation one utilize clean
heat either gas or electricity and generates water
vapours and carbon die oxide both are essential for
biological system. The powder metallurgy playing a
very important role in underdeveloped and developed
world in tooling as well as manufacturing world.
Metallurgy has grown in the resource deficient
countries like England, Japan, France, Switzerland and
Sweden etc. And all have been over taken by Russian
and U.S.A.
The growth of the powder metallurgy easily
understood by distinct lines:
1. The product or tool which cannot be made or
impractical to make by any other method made up
by powder metallurgy e.g cemented carbides,
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porous bearings and filters etc. There is no another
method or way to make the cemented carbide
without powder metallurgy.
2. The powder metallurgical techniques give the
competition to other methods of manufacturing, but
this has ability of cost saving and good
performance.
3. The merging of P/M techniques with conventional
metal working system. The combination of forging
and P/M powder forging is the prime example.
Extrusion of Powder Metallurgy billets is another
roll compacting and isocratic coasting also be
considered in this category.
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