Powder metallurgy –
P/M is a highly developed method of manufacturing reliable ferrous and nonferrous parts. Made by mixing elemental or alloy powders and compacting the mixture in a die, the resultant shapes are then sintered or heated in a controlled-atmosphere furnace to bond the particles metallurgically. P/M typically uses more than 97% of the starting raw material in the finished part, making it an energy and materials-conserving process.
General steps in the P/M process
Powder metallurgy process consists from four major steps:
1-Production of the metallic powder.
2-Mixing and preparation of powder.
3-Pressing of powder to the required shape.
4-Heating or sintering of the compacted powder at a relatively high temperature.
In addition to Post Processing as shown in figure 1 & 2.
Characteristics of metal powder:
The processes of manufacturing P/M articles economically depends largely on the physical and chemical characteristics of the initial metal powders. The characteristics of metal powders, in turn, depend upon the method used in the producing these metal powders and consequently there is a wide range in their characteristics. A choice regarding the suitability of manufacturing techniques of metal powders can be made only after considering the required finished product for a specific job.
