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Powder Metallurgy / Introduction / Process / Methods

Definition:

The Process of producing components from metallic powder parts made by powder metallurgy may contain non-metallic constituents to improve the bonding qualities and properties.

Number and variety of products made by powder metallurgy are continuously increasing:

1. Tungsten Filaments for Lamps
2. Contact Point relays
3. Self lubricating bearings
4. Cemented carbides for cutting tools etc.

 

Characters of Metal Powders:

• Shape:

It is influenced by the way it’s made. The shape may be spherical (atomization) (Electrolysis) flat or angular (Mechanical crushing). The particle shape influences the flow characteristics of powders.

• Particle Size (Fineness) and size distribution:

Particle Size and Distribution are important factors which controls the porosity, Compressibility and amount of shrinkage. Proper particle size and size distribution are determined by passing the powder through a standard sieves ranging from 45 to 150 micrometer mesh.

• Flowability:

The ability of the powders to flow readily and conform to the mould cavity. The flow rate helps to determine to possible production rate.

• Compressibility:

It’s defines as the volume of initial powder (Powder loosely filled in cavity) to the volume of compact part. Depends on particle shape & size distribution.

• Apparent Density:

The Apparent density depends on particle size is defined as the ratio of volume to weight of loosely filled mixture.

• Green strength:

It refer to strength of a compact part prior to sintering. It depends on compressibility and helps to handle the parts during the mass production.

• Purity:

Impurities affects sintering & Compacting Oxides & Gaseous impurities can be removed from the part during sintering by the use of a reducing atmosphere.

• Sintering ability:

It is the ability which promotes bonding of particles by the application of heat.

 

Powder Metallurgy Process steps:

 

 

 

 

Manufacture of Metal Powders:

Methods:

• Mechanical pulverization:

Machining, Drilling or Grinding of metals is used to convert them to powders.

• Machining:

It Produces coarse particles (Flack form) especially Magnesium powders.

• Milling or Grinding:

It suitable for brittle materials.

• Shorting:

The process of dropping molten metal through a Sieve or small orifice in to water. This produces Spherical particles or larger size. Commonly used for metals of low melting point.

 

• Atomizing:

In this molten metal is forced through a nozzle, and a stream of compressed air, stream or Inert gas is directed on it break up into five particles. Powders obtained in irregular in shapes. Atomization commonly used for aluminium, Zinc, Tin, Cadmium and other metals of low melting point.

 

• Electrolytic deposition:

It’s used mainly for producing iron and copper powders. These are dense structure with low apparent density. It consists of depositing metal on cathode plate by conventional electrolysis processes. The Cathode paltes are removed and the deposited powder is scraped off. The powder is wasted, dried, screened & oversized particles are milled or ground for fineness. The powder is further subjected to heat treatment to remove the work hardening effect.

• Chemical reduction:

It’s used for producing iron, Copper, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Nickel & Cobalt powder process consists of reducing the metal oxides by means of carbon monoxide or Hydrogen. After reduction, the powder is usually ground & Sized.

 

Forming to shape:

1. The process of mixing the powders is called Blending.
2. The Loose powders are formed in to shape by compacting.

CRYSTAL SYSTEM

Crystalline Materials:

• A crystalline material is one in which the atoms are situated in a repeating (or) periodic array over large atomic distances.

 

 

Non Crystalline Materials:

• Materials that do not crystallize are called non-crystalline (or) Amorphous materials

 

Space Lattice:

• Lattice is the regular geometrical arrangement of points in crystal space.

 

• The atoms arrange themselves in distinct pattern in space is called a Space Lattice.
• Atoms in crystalline materials are arranged in a regular 3 – Dimensional repeating pattern known as Lattice Structure.
• They are divided by network of lines in to equal volumes, the points of intersection are known as Lattice Points.

 

Unit Cell:

• It is the smallest portion of the lattice which repeated in all directions.
• 3D visualization of 14 Space Lattices are known as Bravai’s Space Lattice.
• If a unit cell contains lattice points only at it’s corners, then it is called Primitive Unit Cell (or) Simple Unit Cell.
• Three edge length x,y, & z and three interaxial angles α, β, & γ are termed as Lattice Parameters.

 

Crystal System:

• It is a scheme by which crystal structures are classified according to unit cell geometry.

 

Types of Crystal Systems:

• Cubic
• Tetragonal
• Hexagonal
• Orthorhombic
• Rhombohedral
• Monoclinic
• Triclinic

 

Crystal Systems

Simple Crystal Structure:

Body Centered Cubic Structure (BCC)

• Unit cell contains 2 atoms
• Lattice Constant a= 4r / √3, where r is atomic radius
• Atomic packing factor APF = 0.68
• Metals are Vanadium, Molybdenum, Titanium, Tungsten

 

Face Centered Cubic (FCC)

• Unit cell contains 4 atoms
• Lattice Constant a= 4r / √2, where r is atomic radius
• Atomic packing factor APF = 0.72
• FCC structures can be plastic deformed at severe rates
• Metals are Copper, Aluminum, Phosphorous, Nickel, Cobalt etc

Hexagonal Closed Packed Structure (HCP)

• Unit cell contains 3 atoms
• Axial ratio c/a, where ‘c’ is Distance between base planes, ‘a’ is Width of Hexagon
• Axial Ratio varies from 1.58 for Beryllium to 1.88 for Cadmium (Therefore  a=2.9787, c=5.617)
• Atomic packing factor APF = 0.74
• Metals are Zinc, Cadmium, Beryllium, Magnesium etc

 

 

Crystallographic Planes and Directions

The Layers of atoms in the planes along which atoms are arranged is known as “Atomic” (or) “Crystallographic planes”.

Miller Indices:

Miller Indices is a system of notation that denotes the orientation of the faces of a crystal and the planes and directions of atoms within that crystal.

Miller Indices for Planes:

1. The (110) surface

 

Intercepts :   a , a , ∞

Fractional intercepts :   1 , 1 , ∞

Miller Indices :   (110)

 

2. The (111) surface

 

Intercepts :   a , a , a

Fractional intercepts :   1 , 1 , 1

Miller Indices :   (111)

The (100), (110) and (111) surfaces considered above are the so-called low index surfaces of a cubic crystal system.

 

3. The (210) surface

 

Intercepts :   ½ a , a , ∞

Fractional intercepts :   ½ , 1 , ∞

Miller Indices :   (210)

PLASTIC-2

What are Plastics?

Plastics are a material that is made up mainly of macromolecules, that can be made fluid by the action of heating and pressurizing, and that can be processed into end products with any useful shape you want to make.

Classification of Plastics

Plastics can be classified into:

1. Thermoplastics and Thermo sets
2. Amorphous Thermoplastics and Crystalline Thermoplastics
3. Commodity Plastics and Engineering Plastics

Thermoplastics Vs Thermo sets

Thermoplastics Elastomer

• TPE – thermoplastic elastomer
• Resemble rubber at room temperature
• Can be melt-processed like other thermoplastics
• Become elastic like rubber when cooled

Amorphous Thermoplastics Vs. Crystalline Thermoplastics

Thermo sets Classifications

Commodity Plastics Vs Engineering Plastics