Development of Powder Metallurgy （PM） Compacted Cu-TaC Electrodes for EDM

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the properties of Cu-TaC electrodes produced by Powder Metallurgy （PM） method. The design of Experiment （DOE） method was used to plan the investigation. Two different compositions of the powders （Cu-TaC with 30 and 55 % wt TaC） were used. The major properties which determine suitability of electrodes for Electro Discharge Machining （EDM） are electrical conductivity, therrnal conductivity and to some extent density. These properties were measured for the green compacted electrodes, analyzed and compared with their sintered counterparts. This is the initial stage to determine the suitability or otherwise of the compacted electrodes. The results showed that the compacted electrodes in green form can be suitable for EDM, since the electrical conductivities are very high （94.96-189.92Ω^-1m^-1）. The thermal conductivity is good （29.70-33.20W/m K）. The density ranges between 6.13 and 9.80 g/cm3. The sintered electrodes were found to be unsuitable at the specified conditions, because they became non-conductive electrically after sintering. Current efforts are geared towards improving these properties for the sintered ones and also determining their optimum levels.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of high -performance powder metallurgy TA15 titanium alloy by hot rolling

Hot deformation of sintered billets by powder metallurgy(PM)is an effective preparation technique for titanium alloys,which is more significant for high-alloying alloys.In this study,Ti–6.5Al–2Zr–Mo–V(TA15)titanium alloy plates were prepared by cold press-ing sintering combined with high-temperature hot rolling.The microstructure and mechanical properties under different process paramet-ers were investigated.Optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction,and others were applied to characterize the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties strengthening mechanism.The results showed that the chemical compositions were uniformly dif-fused without segregation during sintering,and the closing of the matrix craters was accelerated by increasing the sintering temperature.The block was hot rolled at 1200℃ with an 80%reduction under only two passes without annealing.The strength and elongation of the plate at 20–25℃ after solution and aging were 1247 MPa and 14.0%,respectively,which were increased by 24.5%and 40.0%,respect-ively,compared with the as-sintered alloy at 1300℃.The microstructure was significantly refined by continuous dynamic recrystalliza-tion,which was completed by the rotation and dislocation absorption of the substructure surrounded by low-angle grain boundaries.After hot rolling combined with heat treatment,the strength and plasticity of PM-TA15 were significantly improved,which resulted from the dense,uniform,and fine recrystallization structure and the synergistic effect of multiple slip systems.

Integrated high-performance and accurate shaping technology of low-cost powder metallurgy titanium alloys: A comprehensive review

The practical engineering applications of powder metallurgy (PM) Ti alloys produced through cold compaction and pressure-less sintering are impeded by poor sintering densification, embrittlement caused by excessive O impurities, and severe sintering deforma-tion resulting from the use of heterogeneous powder mixtures. This review presents a summary of our previous work on addressing the above challenges. Initially, we proposed a novel strategy using reaction-induced liquid phases to enhance sintering densification. Near- complete density (relative density exceeding 99%) was achieved by applying the above strategy and newly developed sintering aids. By focusing on the O-induced embrittlement issue, we determined the onset dissolution temperature of oxide films in the Ti matrix. On the basis of this finding, we established a design criterion for effective O scavengers that require reaction with oxide films before their dissol-ution. Consequently, a ductile PM Ti alloy was successfully obtained by introducing 0.3wt% NdB6 as the O scavenger. Lastly, a powder- coating strategy was adopted to address the sintering deformation issue. The ultrafine size and shell-like distribution characteristics of coating particles ensured rapid dissolution and homogeneity in the Ti matrix, thereby facilitating linear shrinkage during sintering. As a result, geometrically complex Ti alloy parts with high dimensional accuracy were fabricated by using the coated powder. Our fundament-al findings and related technical achievements enabled the development of an integrated production technology for the high-performance and accurate shaping of low-cost PM Ti alloys. Additionally, the primary engineering applications and progress in the industrialization practice of our developed technology are introduced in this review.

Ballistic performance of titanium-based layered composites made using blended elemental powder metallurgy and hot isostatic pressing

Metal matrix composites tiles based on Ti-6Al-4V(Ti64)alloy,reinforced with 10,20,and 40(vol%)of either TiC or TiB particles were made using press-and-sinter blended elemental powder metallurgy(BEPM)and then bonded together into 3-layer laminated plates using hot isostatic pressing(HIP).The laminates were ballistically tested and demonstrated superior performance.The microstructure and properties of the laminates were analyzed to determine the effect of the BEPM and HIP processing on the ballistic properties of the layered plates.The effect of porosity in sintered composites on further diffusion bonding of the plates during HIP is analyzed to understand the bonding features at the interfaces between different adjacent layers in the laminate.Exceptional ballistic performance of fabricated structures was explained by a significant reduction in the residual porosity of the BEPM products by their additional processing using HIP,which provides an unprecedented increase in the hardness of the layered composites.It is argued that the combination of the used two technologies,BEPM and HIP is principally complimentary for the materials in question with the abilities to solve the essential problems of each used individually.

Ceramic particles reinforced copper matrix composites manufactured by advanced powder metallurgy:preparation, performance, and mechanisms

Copper matrix composites doped with ceramic particles are known to effectively enhance the mechanical properties,thermal expansion behavior and high-temperature stability of copper while maintaining high thermal and electrical conductivity.This greatly expands the applications of copper as a functional material in thermal and conductive components,including electronic packaging materials and heat sinks,brushes,integrated circuit lead frames.So far,endeavors have been focusing on how to choose suitable ceramic components and fully exert strengthening effect of ceramic particles in the copper matrix.This article reviews and analyzes the effects of preparation techniques and the characteristics of ceramic particles,including ceramic particle content,size,morphology and interfacial bonding,on the diathermancy,electrical conductivity and mechanical behavior of copper matrix composites.The corresponding models and influencing mechanisms are also elaborated in depth.This review contributes to a deep understanding of the strengthening mechanisms and microstructural regulation of ceramic particle reinforced copper matrix composites.By more precise design and manipulation of composite microstructure,the comprehensive properties could be further improved to meet the growing demands of copper matrix composites in a wide range of application fields.

New development of powder metallurgy in automotive industry

The driving force for using powder metallurgy(PM)mostly relies on its near net-shape ability and cost-performance ratio.The automotive application is a main market of PM industry,requiring parts with competitive mechanical or functional performance in a mass production scale.As the automobile technology transforms from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles to new energy vehicles,PM technology is undergoing significant changes in manufacturing and materials development.This review outlines the challenges and opportunities generated by the changes in the automotive technology for PM.Low-cost,high-performance and light-weight are critical aspects for future PM materials development.Therefore,the studies on PM lean-alloyed steel,aluminum alloys,and titanium alloy materials were reviewed.In addition,PM soft magnetic composite applied to new energy vehicles was discussed.Then new opportunities for advanced processing,such as metal injection molding(MIM)and additive manufacturing(AM),in automotive industry were stated.In general,the change in automotive industry raises sufficient development space for PM.While,emerging technologies require more preeminent PM materials.Iron-based parts are still the main PM products due to their mechanical performance and low cost.MIM will occupy the growing market of highly flexible and complex parts.AM opens a door for fast prototyping,great flexibility and customizing at low cost,driving weight and assembling reduction.

Thermal stability and microstructure development of cast and powder metallurgy produced Mg-Y-Zn alloy during heat treatment

Response to isochronal annealing up to 440 ℃ of squeeze cast Mg–Y–Zn alloy and of the same alloy prepared by powder metallurgy(PM)and extruded at 280 ℃ was studied by resistivity and microhardness measurement,differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and microstructure investigation.Electrical resistivity was measured at 77 K and microhardness was measured at room temperature after each annealing step.DSC measurement was performed at various heating rates.Transmission and scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy revealed ribbons of long-period ordered structure(LPSO)18R and planar defects within grain boundaries.Relatively high density of planar defects was found in grain interiors of the cast alloy with the grain size approximately 50μm.Well pronounced subgrains were observed in the PM prepared alloy.Secondary phase particles decorate grain boundaries in this alloy.Three precipitation processes were detected in the cast alloy during repeated isochronal annealing up to 440 ℃,whereas only one significant process was revealed in the PM alloy.These processes were identified as embedding of stacking faults by solutes,development and rearrangement(18R→14H)of LPSO phase and development of grain boundary particles.A coarsening of grain boundary particles rich in Y and Zn only proceeds in the PM alloy.Activation energies of the precipitation processes were determined.Microhardness exhibits good thermal stability against annealing up to 360 ℃ in the PM alloy.

Development of Mg based biomaterial with improved mechanical and degradation properties using powder metallurgy

In the present work,biocompatible materials such as niobium(Nb),zinc(Zn)and calcium(Ca)have been blended with magnesium(Mg)to develop a novel biomaterial(BM)with improved mechanical and corrosion resistant properties.Powder metallurgy(PM)technique was used to fabricate Mg based BM.The powder of all aforementioned materials were mixed homogenously in specific quantities to create a uniform composite component.In order to analyse the influence of process parameters on the mechanical properties of the fabricated part,experiments were performed considering central composite design(CCD).The effect of powder metallurgical parameters namely percentage Nb,compaction pressure,heating rate,sintering temperature and soaking time on the ultimate compressive strength(UCS)and sintered density was studied in the present study.It was found that the UCS and sintered density increased with increase in compaction pressure,heating rate and sintering temperature.The results also revealed that the increase in soaking time and percentage Nb,increased sintered density and UCS to a certain limit.Subsequent increase in these two parameters,sintered density and UCS decreased.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images of the fabricated samples showed reduction in porosity with the increase in heating rate.Moreover,X-ray diffraction(XRD)results revealed that no other phase or impurities were found during sintering of Mg based BMs.The optimum process parameters were obtained to develop Mg based BM for maximum UCS and sintered density.Furthermore,the Mg based BM samples fabricated at optimum process parameters were used for corrosion testing in simulated body fluid(SBF)solution at a temperature of 37±0.5℃.The Mg based BM yielded improved mechanical properties with reduced corrosion rates as compared to pure Mg.

Effects of niobium addition on microstructure and properties of CPM121 powder metallurgy high-speed steel

Massive vanadium additions as hard phases in powder metallurgy high-speed steels(PM HSS)lead to higher cost and bad machinability.In this study,ultrahigh alloy PM HSS with CPM121(10W-5Mo-4Cr-10V-9Co,wt.%)as the basic composition,was directly compacted and activation sintered with near-full density(>99.0%)using pre-oxidized and ball-mixed element and carbide powders.Niobium-alloyed steels(w(V)+w(Nb)=10 wt.%)show higher hardness and wear resistance,superior secondary-hardening ability and temper resistance.But excess niobium addition(>5 wt.%)leads to coarsened carbides and deteriorated toughness.EPMA results proved that niobium tends to distribute in MC carbides and forces element W to form M6C and WC carbides.Further,the role of rotary forging on properties of niobium-alloyed steels(S3)was researched.After rotary forging with deformation of 40%,the bending strength and fracture toughness of niobium-alloyed steels could be further improved by 20.74%and 43.86%compared with those of sample S3 without rotary forging,respectively.

Oxygen variation in titanium powder and metal injection molding

The control of oxygen is paramount in achieving high-performance titanium(Ti)parts by powder metallurgy such as metal in-jection molding(MIM).In this study,we purposely selected the Ti and Ti-6Al-4V powders as the reference materials since these two are the most representative Ti materials in the industry.Herein,hydride-dehydride(HDH)Ti powders were pre-oxidized to examine the ef-fect of oxygen variation on the characteristics of oxide layer on the particle surface and its resultant color feature.The results indicate that the thickness and Ti oxide level(Ti^(0)→Ti^(4+))of the oxide layer on the HDH Ti powders increased as the oxygen content increased,lead-ing to the transition of color appearance from grey,brown to blue.This work aids in the powder feedstock selection at the initial stage in powder metallurgy.In addition,the development of oxygen content was comprehensively studied during the MIM process using the gas-atomized(GA)Ti-6Al-4V powders.Particularly,the oxygen variation in the form of oxide layer,the change of oxygen content in the powders,and the relevant parts were investigated during the processes of kneading,injection,debinding,and sintering.The oxygen vari-ation was mainly concentrated in the sintering stage,and the content increased with the increase of sintering temperature.The variation of oxygen content during the MIM process demonstrates the crucial role of powder feedstock and sintering stage in controlling oxygen con-tent.This work provides a piece of valuable information on oxygen detecting,control,and manipulation for the powder and processing in the industry of Ti and its alloys by powder metallurgy.

Development of Cu-Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelets (xGnP) Metal Matrix Composite by Powder Metallurgy Route

In the present investigation the possibility of using exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) as reinforcement in order to enhance the mechanical properties of Cu-based metal matrix composites is explored. Cu-based metal matrix composites reinforced with different amounts of xGnP were fabricated by powder metallurgy route. The microstructure, sliding wear behaviour and mechanical properties of the Cu-xGnP composites were investigated. xGnP has been synthesized from the graphite intercalation compounds (GIC) through rapid evaporation of the intercalant at an elevated temperature. The thermally exfoliated graphite was later sonicated for a period of 5 h in acetone in order to achieve further exfoliation. The xGnP synthesized was characterized using SEM, HRTEM, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Cu and xGnP powder mixtures were consolidated under a load of 565 MPa followed by sintering at 850°C for 2 h in inert atmosphere. Cu-1, 2, 3 and 5 wt% xGnP composites were developed. Results of the wear test show that there is a significant improvement in the wear resistance of the composites up to addition of 2 wt% of xGnP. Hardness, tensile strength and strain at failure of the various Cu-xGnP composites also show improvement upto the addition of 2 wt% xGnP beyond which there is a decrease in these properties. The density of the composites decreases with the addition of higher wt% of xGnP although addition of higher wt% of xGnP leads to higher sinterability and densification of the composites, resulting in higher relative density values. The nature of fracture in the pure Cu as well as the various Cu-xGnP composites was found to be ductile. Nanoplatelets of graphite were found firmly embedded in the Cu matrix in case of Cu-xGnP composites containing low wt% of xGnP.

Phase transformation and damping behavior of lightweight porous TiNiCu alloys fabricated by powder metallurgy process

Porous TiNiCu ternary shape memory alloys （SMAs） were successfully fabricated by powder metallurgy method. The microstructure, martensitic transformation behavior, damping performance and mechanical properties of the fabricated alloys were intensively studied. It is found that the apparent density of alloys decreases with increasing the Cu content, the porous Ti50Ni40Cu10 alloy exhibits wide endothermic and exothermic peaks arisen from the hysteresis of martensitic transformations, while the porous Ti50Ni30Cu20 alloy shows much stronger and narrower endothermic and exothermic peaks owing to the B2-B19 transformation taking place easily. Moreover, the porous Ti50Ni40Cu10 alloy shows a lower shape recovery rate than the porous Ti50Ni50 alloy, while the porous Ti50Ni30Cu20 alloy behaves reversely. In addition, the damping capacity （or internal friction, IF） of the porous TiNiCu alloys increases with increasing the Cu content. The porous Ti50Ni30Cu20 alloy has very high equivalent internal friction, with the maximum equivalent internal friction value five times higher than that of the porous Ti50Ni50 alloy.

Deformation behaviors and processing maps of CNTs/Al alloy composite fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

Deformation behaviors of CNTs/Al alloy composite fabricated by the method of flake powder metallurgy were investigated by hot compression tests, which were performed in the temperature range of 300?550 °C and strain rate range of 0.001? 10 s?1 with Gleeble?3500 thermal simulator system. Processing maps of the CNTs/Al alloy at different strains were calculated to study the optimum processing domain. Microstructures before and after hot compressions were characterized by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) method. Stress?strain curves indicate that the flow stress increases with the increase of strain rate and the decrease of temperature. The processing maps of the CNTs/Al alloy at different strains show that the optimum processing domain is 500?550 °C, 10 s?1 for hot working. EBSD analysis demonstrates that fully dynamic recrystallization occurs in the optimum processing domain (high strainrate 10 s?1), whereas the main soften mechanism is dynamic recovery at low strain rate (0.001 s?1).

Hot deformation and processing maps of Al_2O_3/Al composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

The deformation behaviors of Al2O3/Al composites were investigated by compressive tests conducted at temperature of 300-450 °C and strain rates of 0.001-1.0 s-1 with Gleeble-1500 D thermal simulator system. The results show that the flow stress increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature. The hyperbolic sine constitutive equation can describe the flow stress behavior of Al2O3/Al composites, and the deformation activation energy and constitutive equations were calculated. The processing maps of Al2O3/Al-2 μm and Al2O3/Al-1 μm composites at strain of 0.6 were obtained and the optimum processing domains are in ranges of 300-330 °C, 0.007-0.03 s-1 and 335-360 °C, 0.015-0.06 s-1 for hot working, respectively. The instability zones of flow behavior can also be recognized by the maps.

Effect of milling time on microstructure of Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA biocomposite fabricated by powder metallurgy and sintering

A new β-Ti based Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10 hydroxyapitite（HA） biocompatible composite was fabricated by mechanical milling and pulsed current activated sintering（PCAS）.The microstructures of Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA powder particles and composites sintered from the milled powders were studied.Results indicated that α-Ti phase began to transform into β-Ti phase after the powders were mechanically milled for 8 h.After mechanical milling for 12 h,α-Ti completely transformed into β-Ti phase,and the ultra fine Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA composite powders were obtained.And ultra fine grain sized Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA sintered composites were obtained by PCAS.The hardness and relative density of the sintered composites both increased with increasing the ball milling time.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of powder metallurgy Ti-Al-Mo-V-Ag alloy

The Ti-Al-Mo-V-Ag α＋β alloys were processed by powder metallurgy（PM） using the blended elemental（BE） technique.The effects of Ag addition and sintering temperature on microstructure and properties of the Ti-5Al-4Mo-4V alloys were investigated using X-ray diffraction,optical microscope,scanning electron microscope and mechanical properties tests.The results show that adding Ag element increases the relative density and improves the mechanical properties of PM Ti-5Al-4Mo-4V alloy.After sintering at 1 250 ℃ for 4 h,the relative density and compression strength of Ti-5Al-4Mo-4V-5Ag alloy are 96.3% and 1 656 MPa,respectively.

Bi-modal microstructure in a powder metallurgical ferritic steel

Ferritic steel with a nominal composition of Fe-14Cr-3W-0.42Ti-0.32Y was prepared by mixing gas-atomized prealloyed powder and mechanically alloyed powder. The microstructure is much different fxom other ferritic steels with the same composition and prepared via only mechanically alloyed powder. A bi-modal structure, which consists of pure ferritic grains and martensitic grains, was obtained after hot forging and air cooling. A phase transformation of αbcc→γfcc→α＇bcc was also discovered in microstructural observation. The bi-modal microstructure shows a good combination of high strength and high ductility.

Spray forming and mechanical properties of a new type powder metallurgy superalloy

The deposited billet of a new type powder metallurgy （PM） superalloy FGH4095M for use in turbine disk manufac- turing has been fabricated using spray forming technology. The metallurgical quality of the deposited billet was analyzed in terms of density, texture, and grain size. Comparative research was done on the microstructure and mechanical properties between the flat disk preform prepared with hot isostatic pressing （HIP） and the same alloy forgings prepared with HIP followed by isothermal forging （IF）. The results show that the density of the spray-formed and nitrogen-atomized deposit billet is above 99% of the theoretical density, indicating a compact structure. The grains are uniform and fine. The billet has weak texture with a random distribution in the spray deposition direction and perpendicular to the direction of deposition. A part of atomizing nitrogen exists in the preform in the form of carbonitride. Nitrogen-induced microporosity causes the density reduction of the preform. Compared with the process of HIP＋IF, the superalloy FGH4095M after HIP has better mechanical properties at both room temperature and high temperature. The sizes of the 7~ phase are finer in microstructure of the preform after HIP in comparison with the forgings after HIP＋IE This work shows that SF＋HIP is a viable processing route for FGH4095M as a turbine-disk material.

Effect of glass fibre(GF) addition on microstructure and tensile property of GF/Pb composites fabricated by powder metallurgy

GF/Pb compositeswerefabricated by the method of powder metallurgy, and the density, microstructure and tensile propertywerecharacterized considering the size and content ofglass fibre （GF）. The results show that relative densities decrease with increasing GF fraction, and the 50μm-GF reinforced specimens exhibit a better densification than the 300μm-GF reinforced ones. The GF particles distribute quite uniformly inPb matrix, and the composites fabricated at low sintering temperature （〈200℃） possess fine-grain microstructure. The addition of GF significantly improves the strength of the Pb composites, and the ultimate tensile strength of the Pb composite reinforcedwith the addition of 50μm-0.5% GF（mass fraction）is about 30MPa higher than that of GF-free sample. For all composites groups, increasing the reinforcement content from 0.5%to 2%（mass fraction）results in a decrease in both tensile strength and ductility.

Damping capacity of high strength-damping aluminum alloys prepared by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy process

Two kinds of high strength-damping aluminum alloys （LZ7） were fabricated by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy （RS-PM） process. One material was extruded to profile aluminum directly and the other was extruded to bar and then rolled to sheet. The damping capacity over a temperature range of 25-300 ℃was studied with damping mechanical thermal analyzer （DMTA） and the microstructures were investigated by optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results show that the damping capacity increases with the test temperature elevating. Internal friction value of rolled sheet aluminum is up to 11.5×10^-2 and that of profile aluminum is as high as 6.0×10^-2 and 7.5×10^-2 at 300 ℃, respectively. Microstructure analysis shows the shape of precipitation phase of rolled alloy is more regular and the distribution is more homogeneous than that of profile alloy. Meanwhile, the interface between particulate and matrix of rolled sheet alloy is looser than that of profile alloy. Maybe the differences at interface can explain why damping capacity of rolled sheet alloy is higher than that of profile alloys at high temperature （above 120 ℃）.