- Email: [email protected]
Advances in powder metallurgy
Tungsten powder production up in Japan J a p a n e s e p r o d u c t i o n of tungsten p o w d e r was 2172 t o n n e s for t h e period J a n u a r y to J u n e 1991, a 10% increase over t h e same period t h e previous year. G r o w t h w a s d u e to h i g h e r d e m a n d from p r o d u c e r s of
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 (Jan-June)
2563 2748 3519 3793 4210 2172
Japanese production of tungsten powder 1986-1991 (tonnes). (Courtesy of Roskill Information Services).
Binder system makes automotive MIM viable The metal injection moulding (MIM) of automotive compon e n t s could well become more commercially viable t h a n k s to d e v e l o p m e n t work c u r r e n t l y b e i n g c a r r i e d o u t a t T&N Technology of t h e UK. The Rugby-based research a n d d e v e l o p m e n t c e n t r e for the T&N Group reports t h a t it h a s developed a b i n d e r system which allows rapid d e b i n d i n g of t h i n sections a n d also allows t h i c k e r s e c t i o n s to be produced. A d i s a d v a n t a g e of MIM is t h e long debinding times, several days in some cases says T&N, which can a d d capital a n d revenue cost as well as restricting c o m p o n e n t size. The new T&N system, in which m e t a l powder is blended with a b i n d e r to form feedstock, is said to d e b i n d several times quicker than can be achieved a t p r e s e n t . It c a n also be a p p l i e d to ceramic injection moulding. A f u r t h e r a d v a n t a g e of t h e system is t h a t very complex geometries can be produced. T&N says t h a t MIM of a w i d e r a n g e of m e c h a n i c a l , electro-mechanical a n d electrical a u t o m o t i v e c o m p o n e n t s could become much more viable once t h e new material
2
MPR January 1992
u l t r a h a r d alloys a n d electric lamps, says Roskill's Letter
from Japan. O u t p u t of electric l a m p s totalled 1300 million u n i t s in t h e first six m o n t h s of 1991, a 7% increase on 1990. Produc-
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 (Jan-June)
580 590 628 674 661 326
Japanese production of molybdenum powder 1986-1991 (tonnes). (Courtesy of Roski/I Information Services).
is a v a i l a b l e quantities.
in p r o d u c t i o n
T&N plc, Bowdon House, Ashburton Road West, Trail ford Park, Manchester M17 1RA, UK; tel: + 44- (0) 61872-0155; fax: + 4 4 - ( 0 ) 6 1 848-8303.
Advances in Powder Metallurgy The proceedings of the Metal Powder Industries Federation's 1991 Powder Metallurgy Conference, held in Chicago, are now available in six volumes. 'Advances in Powder Metallurgy 1991' h a s 147 technical p a p e r s a n d over 2100 pages. The following topics are covered: volume 1 -- compaction, quality control a n d training; v o l u m e 2 -- p o w d e r injection moulding; volume 3 -- p a r t s p r o d u c t i o n technologies; volume 4 -- sintering; v o l u m e 5 -- PM materials; a n d volume 6 -- aerospace, refractory a n d advanced materials. The complete set, edited by L e a n d e r F. P e a s e III a n d Reynauld J. Sansourcy, is availa b l e f r o m t h e MPIF, p r i c e $495.00 (APMI members $450.00, MPIF members $395.00). E a c h v o l u m e m a y also be p u r c h a s e d individually. -
tion of t u n g s t e n wire a n d rods for use as filaments increased, reflecting the double digit growth in d e m a n d from t h e automotive, display system a n d fluorescent light sectors. In a d d i t i o n t h e r e w a s a n increase in o u t p u t of t u n g s t e n i n e r t gas (TIG) electrode rods, using t h o r i a t e d tungsten, for welding, a n d of r h e n i u m - t u n g sten e l e m e n t s (3% r h e n i u m ) for filaments in large colour televisions. Production of m o l y b d e n u m powder also rose. Some 326 t o n n e s was p r o d u c e d from J a n u a r y to J u n e 1991, a 4% increase on 1990.
Materials institute formed At a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y general meeting held on 15 November 1991 t h e m e m b e r s h i p s of t h e Plastics a n d Rubber I n s t i t u t e a n d t h e Institute of Ceramics voted in favour of merging with t h e I n s t i t u t e of Metals to form t h e I n s t i t u t e of Materials. The votes were 91% a n d 92% in favour respectively.
Metals testing services from Sharpies
-
MPIF, 105 College Road East, Princeton, N J 085406692, USA; fax: + 1-609-9878523.
A wide range of services for metallographic a n d m e t a l testing will be offered by Sharples Scientific from its new headq u a r t e r s in Brackley, UI~ The c o m p a n y r e p r e s e n t s leading manufacturers such as Belec a n d J e a n Wirtz in the UK, for b o t h mobile a n d labora t o r y m e t a l s t e s t i n g equipment. A full service of m a i n t e n a n c e a n d calibration is offered. A catalogue of metallographic c o n s u m a b l e s is available from t h e firm, a n d most items can be delivered immediately from stock.
John Sharpies, Sharpies Scientific Ltd, Top Station Road, Brackley NN13 5UG, UK; tel: + 44- (0)280-706003.
MIM debinding and sintering studied A two year co-operative study on the debinding a n d sintering of 316L m e t a l injection mould e d (MIM) s t a i n l e s s s t e e l p a r t s is being conducted by Centorr/Vacuum Industries Inc of Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, a n d t h e Materials S c i e n c e Division of N o r t h e a s t e r n University in Boston, Massachusetts, U S A MIM p a r t s in t h e s h a p e of s t a n d a r d MPIF t e n s i l e t e s t b a r s will be p r o d u c e d form 316L powder, using conventional wax-plus-polymer binder as well as other e x p e r i m e n t a l b i n d e r systems. The project will c o m p a r e the p r o p e r t i e s achieved in b o t h g r a p h i t e - c o n t a i n i n g a n d grap h i t e - f r e e e n v i r o n m e n t s in b a t c h a n d c o n t i n u o u s furnaces. Daniel Duncavage, a master's student from Northeastern University, will conduct d e b i n d i n g a n d sintering e x p e r i m e n t s in N a s h u a and materials testing and metallography e x p e r i m e n t s in Boston. His work will be supervised by Professor C.W.P. Finn of Northeastern.
Centorr/Vacuum Indus t r i e s Inc, 542 A m h e r s t Street, Nashua, N H 03063, USA; tel: + 1-603-595-7233; fax: + 1-603-595-9220.
HIP products present a challenge to forging Hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) p r o d u c t s m a d e from i n e r t gas atomized steel powder are a challenging alternative to forgings, says ABB P o w d e r m e t of S u r a h a m m a r , Sweden. The company has just r e l e a s e d a b r o c h u r e giving details of its HIPed products, including tubes, valve components, valve b o d i e s for t h e offshore industry, s t e a m turbine disks, barrel casings a n d guide bushings.
Sigurd P~iborg, ABB Powdermet AB, HIP Steel Division, S-735 0 0 Surahammar, Sweden; tel: + 46-220-348-00; fax: + 46-220-331-18.
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 (Jan-June)
2563 2748 3519 3793 4210 2172
Japanese production of tungsten powder 1986-1991 (tonnes). (Courtesy of Roskill Information Services).
Binder system makes automotive MIM viable The metal injection moulding (MIM) of automotive compon e n t s could well become more commercially viable t h a n k s to d e v e l o p m e n t work c u r r e n t l y b e i n g c a r r i e d o u t a t T&N Technology of t h e UK. The Rugby-based research a n d d e v e l o p m e n t c e n t r e for the T&N Group reports t h a t it h a s developed a b i n d e r system which allows rapid d e b i n d i n g of t h i n sections a n d also allows t h i c k e r s e c t i o n s to be produced. A d i s a d v a n t a g e of MIM is t h e long debinding times, several days in some cases says T&N, which can a d d capital a n d revenue cost as well as restricting c o m p o n e n t size. The new T&N system, in which m e t a l powder is blended with a b i n d e r to form feedstock, is said to d e b i n d several times quicker than can be achieved a t p r e s e n t . It c a n also be a p p l i e d to ceramic injection moulding. A f u r t h e r a d v a n t a g e of t h e system is t h a t very complex geometries can be produced. T&N says t h a t MIM of a w i d e r a n g e of m e c h a n i c a l , electro-mechanical a n d electrical a u t o m o t i v e c o m p o n e n t s could become much more viable once t h e new material
2
MPR January 1992
u l t r a h a r d alloys a n d electric lamps, says Roskill's Letter
from Japan. O u t p u t of electric l a m p s totalled 1300 million u n i t s in t h e first six m o n t h s of 1991, a 7% increase on 1990. Produc-
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 (Jan-June)
580 590 628 674 661 326
Japanese production of molybdenum powder 1986-1991 (tonnes). (Courtesy of Roski/I Information Services).
is a v a i l a b l e quantities.
in p r o d u c t i o n
T&N plc, Bowdon House, Ashburton Road West, Trail ford Park, Manchester M17 1RA, UK; tel: + 44- (0) 61872-0155; fax: + 4 4 - ( 0 ) 6 1 848-8303.
Advances in Powder Metallurgy The proceedings of the Metal Powder Industries Federation's 1991 Powder Metallurgy Conference, held in Chicago, are now available in six volumes. 'Advances in Powder Metallurgy 1991' h a s 147 technical p a p e r s a n d over 2100 pages. The following topics are covered: volume 1 -- compaction, quality control a n d training; v o l u m e 2 -- p o w d e r injection moulding; volume 3 -- p a r t s p r o d u c t i o n technologies; volume 4 -- sintering; v o l u m e 5 -- PM materials; a n d volume 6 -- aerospace, refractory a n d advanced materials. The complete set, edited by L e a n d e r F. P e a s e III a n d Reynauld J. Sansourcy, is availa b l e f r o m t h e MPIF, p r i c e $495.00 (APMI members $450.00, MPIF members $395.00). E a c h v o l u m e m a y also be p u r c h a s e d individually. -
tion of t u n g s t e n wire a n d rods for use as filaments increased, reflecting the double digit growth in d e m a n d from t h e automotive, display system a n d fluorescent light sectors. In a d d i t i o n t h e r e w a s a n increase in o u t p u t of t u n g s t e n i n e r t gas (TIG) electrode rods, using t h o r i a t e d tungsten, for welding, a n d of r h e n i u m - t u n g sten e l e m e n t s (3% r h e n i u m ) for filaments in large colour televisions. Production of m o l y b d e n u m powder also rose. Some 326 t o n n e s was p r o d u c e d from J a n u a r y to J u n e 1991, a 4% increase on 1990.
Materials institute formed At a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y general meeting held on 15 November 1991 t h e m e m b e r s h i p s of t h e Plastics a n d Rubber I n s t i t u t e a n d t h e Institute of Ceramics voted in favour of merging with t h e I n s t i t u t e of Metals to form t h e I n s t i t u t e of Materials. The votes were 91% a n d 92% in favour respectively.
Metals testing services from Sharpies
-
MPIF, 105 College Road East, Princeton, N J 085406692, USA; fax: + 1-609-9878523.
A wide range of services for metallographic a n d m e t a l testing will be offered by Sharples Scientific from its new headq u a r t e r s in Brackley, UI~ The c o m p a n y r e p r e s e n t s leading manufacturers such as Belec a n d J e a n Wirtz in the UK, for b o t h mobile a n d labora t o r y m e t a l s t e s t i n g equipment. A full service of m a i n t e n a n c e a n d calibration is offered. A catalogue of metallographic c o n s u m a b l e s is available from t h e firm, a n d most items can be delivered immediately from stock.
John Sharpies, Sharpies Scientific Ltd, Top Station Road, Brackley NN13 5UG, UK; tel: + 44- (0)280-706003.
MIM debinding and sintering studied A two year co-operative study on the debinding a n d sintering of 316L m e t a l injection mould e d (MIM) s t a i n l e s s s t e e l p a r t s is being conducted by Centorr/Vacuum Industries Inc of Nashua, New Hampshire, USA, a n d t h e Materials S c i e n c e Division of N o r t h e a s t e r n University in Boston, Massachusetts, U S A MIM p a r t s in t h e s h a p e of s t a n d a r d MPIF t e n s i l e t e s t b a r s will be p r o d u c e d form 316L powder, using conventional wax-plus-polymer binder as well as other e x p e r i m e n t a l b i n d e r systems. The project will c o m p a r e the p r o p e r t i e s achieved in b o t h g r a p h i t e - c o n t a i n i n g a n d grap h i t e - f r e e e n v i r o n m e n t s in b a t c h a n d c o n t i n u o u s furnaces. Daniel Duncavage, a master's student from Northeastern University, will conduct d e b i n d i n g a n d sintering e x p e r i m e n t s in N a s h u a and materials testing and metallography e x p e r i m e n t s in Boston. His work will be supervised by Professor C.W.P. Finn of Northeastern.
Centorr/Vacuum Indus t r i e s Inc, 542 A m h e r s t Street, Nashua, N H 03063, USA; tel: + 1-603-595-7233; fax: + 1-603-595-9220.
HIP products present a challenge to forging Hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) p r o d u c t s m a d e from i n e r t gas atomized steel powder are a challenging alternative to forgings, says ABB P o w d e r m e t of S u r a h a m m a r , Sweden. The company has just r e l e a s e d a b r o c h u r e giving details of its HIPed products, including tubes, valve components, valve b o d i e s for t h e offshore industry, s t e a m turbine disks, barrel casings a n d guide bushings.
Sigurd P~iborg, ABB Powdermet AB, HIP Steel Division, S-735 0 0 Surahammar, Sweden; tel: + 46-220-348-00; fax: + 46-220-331-18.