Powder Metallurgy

• Powder metallurgy (P/M) is a process

for fabricating metal parts from finely
compacted metal powders.

Small detailed P/M

Component.
 Advantages
• High strength parts with low ductility metals and
metals with very high melting temperatures.
• High tolerance parts possible with minimum
processing.
• High alloy contents possible; often alloy content
exceeds solubility limits of conventional wrought
metallurgical processing.
• Relatively low processing temperatures. Sintering
is generally a diffusion driven process rather than
a melting process, although some alloy metals
may become molten at sintering temperatures.
 Disadvantages
• Start-up costs may be high relative to
conventional processing.
• Strength and stiffness may be inferior to
wrought alloys of similar composition.
• Porosity and low ductility may impair
durability.
• Fracture Toughness may be low.
 Examples of P/M materials
• Typical metals used to take advantage of P/M
technology include:
– Fe-based alloys (plain-carbon, low alloy, high alloy
and stainless steels)
– Al-based alloys
– Cu-based alloys
– Co-based alloys
– Ni-based alloys
– Ti-based alloys
– W-based alloys
– Refractory metal alloys (Rhenium, tantalum).
 P/M Nomenclature
• ASTM, SAE : Fe-based Alloys
 Class - Carbon Content
 Grade - Mechanical properties identifier
 Type - Density
• Density is a critical physical property that
strongly affects mechanical properties of P/M
alloys.
Metal Powder Industries
Federation - MPIF
Prefix Alloy - XX YY - Density
• Prefix - letter identifies the base metal;
– F - ferrous based alloy
– A- aluminum based alloys.
• Alloy (optional) - identifies the major alloy element.
– C - copper (Cu) or N - nickel (Ni)
• XX - nominal composition wt% of major alloy element.
• YY - carbon content in Fe-based P/M materials;
– 00 - carbon < 0.3%,
– 05 - carbon between 0.3% and 0.6%
– 08 - carbon between 0.6% and 1%.
• Density - single letter descriptor.
 MPIF Example
• P/M iron-copper:
• 0.3% C (max), 9.5-10.5 % Cu, 87.2-
90.5% Fe

• MPIF: FC10000 - Letter

• ASTM: B222, grade 3
• SAE: 862
 Density and Properties
Fe-based P/M alloys
MPIF ASTM SAE Density Density Modulus Poison’s
“type” “type” (g/cm3) (%) (GPa) Ratio
N I 1 <6.0 <76% 72 0.18
P II 2 6.0-6.4 76-81 90 0.20
R III 3 6.4-6.8 81-87 110 0.21
S IV 4 6.8-7.2 87-92 130 0.23
T V 5 7.2-7.6 92-97 160 0.26
U - 7.6-7.86 97-100 205 0.28
 Properties of selected Fe-
based P/M alloys

P/M alloy Composition Tensile Modulus Ductility

(wt%) Strength (GPa) EL %
(MPa)
FC-0200-P 0.3 C, 1.5-3.9 Cu, 93.8-99.1 Fe 160 90 2.5
FN-0205-T 0.3-0.6 C, 1.0-3.0 Ni, 925 160 2.0
2.5 (max) Cu, 87.2-90.5 Fe.
F- 0005-S 0.3 (max) C, 97.7-1.00 Fe 205 130 9
 Typical Stress-Strain Behaviour
1000
x FN-0205-T

SAE1030 Steel (Ref)

Stress (MPa)

x F- 0005-S
x
FC-0200-P

0
0.1 0.2 0.3
Strain
 Processing
Eg: FN-0205-T:
•Composition:
Iron, Nickel, Copper and graphite powders
•Pressed to near net shape
•Sintered at 1120 °C - 10 to 30 Minutes
Fe : Tm = 1538 °C
Ni : Tm = 1453 °C
Cu: Tm = 1084 °C
•up to 90% dense possible.

OR

•Pressed, pre-sintered at 845 °C, then sintered

Basic Processing Steps
Effect of Density on Ductility and
Toughness of Fe-N P/M alloy
Effect of Density on Strength
of Fe-N P/M alloy
 Refinement Treatments
• Fe- based P/M parts can be subsequently
treated to improve properties
• Steam Treatment is one method
• Improves Density, and Corrosion
Resistance
• Mechanical properties also improved
 Effect of Steam Treatment on
Properties of Fe-Based P/M Alloys
Micrograph of P/M 401L
Stainless Steel

25m
 Aluminum Based P/M Alloys
• P/M used with aluminum alloys to give improved corrosion
resistance and mechanical properties in comparison with
wrought metal alloys.
• The improvement in properties is achieved partly through
microstructural refinement through two mechanisms. Rapid
solidification techniques (RS) are used to provide very fine
grain sizes and mechanical attrition provides increased
dispersion strengthening due to the powder surfaces.
• The fine grain size improves properties such as yield
strength Hall-Petch relationship, Sy  1/d.
• For example, the RS P/M alloy Al- Zn 6.7% - Mg 2.4% - Cu-
1.4%, Co-0.8%, d=2 to 5 microns, 1/10 of the grain size of
typical wrought alloys.
 Al P/M Materials
• Tm = 660°C, Al-alloys not normally considered for use
in elevated temperature applications.
• However, P/M technology can push the limits of
application of al-alloys to temperatures of 300°C or
better.
• An example of this are Al-Fe-Ce alloys (7-9% Fe, 4-
6% Ce) that withstand 1000 hours of continuous
exposure at 225°C with no reduction of ambient-
temperature strength. Similar results occur after 100
hrs at 310°C.
• Alloys 7090 and 7091 are two commercially available
P/M alloys with good high temperature properties.
 Properties of Selected P/M Aluminum Alloys and
7075-T6
Alloy Composition Tensile Yield Ductility
(wt%) Strength Strength( EL %
(MPa) MPa)
7090-T6E192 8.0 Zn, 2.5 Mg, 1.0 Cu, 1.5 640 600 13
Co
7091-T6511 6.5 Zn, 2.5 Mg, 1.5 Cu, 0.4 675 640 10
Co
7075-T6 5.6 Zn, 2.5 Mg, 1.6 Cu, 0.23 570 505 11
Cr
Room Temp Axial Fatigue Strength
of P/M Vs. I/M Extrusions
 High modulus / low density Al-alloys
• Both lithium (Li) and beryllium (Be) will increase the modulus and
reduce the density of al-alloys.
• Solid solubility in aluminum is relatively low and alloy contents in
conventional wrought alloys are generally limited to about 2-3% for
Li, while Be itself seldom appears. The solubility limits for Li and Be
in Al are 4.2% and 0.3%, respectively.
• P/M allows these limits to be overridden by mechanically alloying
excessive amounts of Be and/or Li powders with aluminum to provide
impressive mechanical properties and stiffness/weight ratios.
• The alloy Al-20.5% Be, 2.4% Li boasts a yield strength of 480 MPa,
ultimate strength 530 MPa, ductility 3.3 EL%, elastic modulus 123
GPa, with a density of 2.3 g/cm3.
 Other P/M alloys
• Other alloys have been developed that take advantage of
mechanically alloying elements in far greater concentration
than is possible with conventional metallurgy.
• The Boeing company developed alloy 644B with 3.2% Li,
1% Cu, 0.5% Mg, and 0.5% Zr with a density of 2.54 g/cm3.
• The zirconium content of this alloy is 3 times the maximum
possible in conventional processing. Zirconium is a key
element for precipitation hardening in Al-Li alloys
• This Zr helps to drive the yield strength of this alloy to 420
MPa and tensile strength to 520 MPa while providing a
ductility of about 7 EL%.
 P/M Tungsten Lightbulb
Filament: 500 hrs at 2500C
Wire is creep resistant, note facets on close-up are evaporated W.