Metals can undergo a wide variety of processes to generate the needed parts and prototypes for various industries. One of the processes that can be applied to metals is powder metallurgy.

Powder metallurgy is a manufacturing process that involves transforming metals into metal powders, compacting and shaping the said powders, consolidating and fusing them with additives, and exposing them to a high temperatures and pressure. Despite using different types of metal powders, the output of the whole manufacturing process is expected to boast significant improvements over its physical properties.

Benefits of Powder Metallurgy

Many benefits can be obtained when maximising powder metallurgy in making parts and prototypes. First, powder metallurgy can minimise the need for too many machining processes as it can already generate parts close to the final dimensions. Powder metallurgy can likewise reduce scrap losses by using almost all the starting raw materials in the finished products.

Powder metallurgy can then provide a good surface finish, controlled porosity for effective self-lubrication or filtration, and long-term performance reliability in crucial and critical applications. It can even facilitate the generation of complex or unique shapes that may not be possible with other metalworking processes as well as the increase of strength or wear resistance.

Notable Role of Green Strength

One aspect of powder metallurgy that should be considered to make the whole process successful is green strength.

Green strength in powder metallurgy refers to the compacted or un-sintered powder metal’s resistance to deformation. This aspect is crucial to the process as it may permit the proper handling and processing of powder metals, all before they are fused optimally. It can also tell how a part can be easily machined when it is formed.

This property may be determined by the metal powder particles’ size, shape, and type. It can also be affected by the binders that will hold the particles together. Particles that are larger and round can possess higher green strengths compared to smaller and angular particles. And with lower green strength, the parts may deform, break, and fracture swiftly during machining. Those with higher green strength, alternatively, can easily maintain their shape during machining. They also do not require too much finishing work to last for a long time.

Green Strength Technical Info

Parts with green strength values of about 5.5 MPa or more can permit their pressing and safe handling. Lower green strength values, alternatively, will only promote insufficient strength and horizontal lamination over the parts. The laminations may occur once the parts have been ejected from the die due to their small expansion and the release of elastic stresses.

Fortunately, these defects can be minimised or even prevented by providing the die with a slight taper. Parts with thin sections or sharp contours, alternatively, may require powders with high green strength properties to make them effective.