Nano-structured tungsten carbide compacts with cobalt matrices (WC-Co) offer new opportunities for achieving superior hardness and toughness combinations. A unified modeling and simulation tool has been developed to produce maps of sintering pathways from nanocrystalline WC powder to sintered nano-structured WC-Co compacts. This tool includes (1) die compaction, (2) grain growth, (3) densification, (4) sensitivity analysis, and (5) optimization. All material parameters were obtained by curve fitting based on results with two WC-Co powders. Critical processing parameters are determined based on sensitivity analysis and are optimized to minimize grain size with high density.

Nanostructured or partially amorphous Al-and Zr-based alloys are attractive candidates for advanced high-strength lightweight materials. Such alloys can be prepared by quenching from the melt or by powder metallurgy using mechanical attrition techniques. This work focuses on mechanically attrited powders and their consolidation into bulk specimens. Selected examples of mechanical deformation behavior are presented, revealing that the properties can be tuned within a wide range of strength and ductility as a function of size and volume fraction of the different phases.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted remarkable attention as reinforcement for composites owing to their outstanding mechanical properties. The CNT/Cu nanocomposite is fabricated by a novel fabrication process named molecular level process. The novel process for fabricating CNT/Cu composite powders involves suspending CNTs in a solvent by surface functionalization, mixing Cu ions with CNT suspension, drying, calcination and reduction. The molecular level process produces CNT/Cu composite powders whereby the CNTs are homogeneously implanted within Cu powders. The mechanical properties of CNT/Cu nanocomposite, consolidated by spark plasma sintering of CNT/Cu composite powders, shows about 3 times higher strength and 2 times higher Young's modulus than those of Cu matrix.

By means of magnetic pulsed compaction and sintering of weakly aggregated alumina based nanopowders the jet forming nozzle samples for the hydroabrasive cutting were fabricated. The ceramics was obtained from pure alumina, as well as from alumina, doped by , MgO and AlMg. It was shown that the samples sintered from AlMg doped powder have the best mechanical properties and structural characteristics: relative density , channel microhardness. - 18-20 GPa, channel surface roughness , average crystallite size .

The particulate strengthened composites were prepared by a PM process to develop novel copper based composites with reasonable strength, high thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient. Microstructure of the composites was investigated by SEM; the tensile strength, elongation, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of the composites were examined. A comparative analysis of mechanical and thermal properties of various Cu-matrix composites currently in use was given and the strengthening mechanisms for the composites were discussed.

Modern business trends call for miniaturization of electronic systems. One of the major impedances in this miniaturization is the conductive and inductive components in chips and circuit boards. Direct Write Technology can write these soft magnetic materials, thus allowing for further miniaturization of inductor devices. Another obstacle in electronics fabrication is the size limitations of thick screen-printing and the material limitations in ink jet printing. Direct Write Technologies address both of these limitations by providing feature sizes less than 20 microns with a wide range of materials possibilities. A discussion of the application of these nano-particulate materials by Direct Write Technologies will be presented.

Three-dimensional artificial crystals with periodicity corresponding to terahertz wave lengths were fabricated by self-assembling monosized metal spherical particles. The metal crystals were weakly sintered to utilize them as templates. The metal templates were inverted to air spheres crystal embedded in dielectric resin though infiltration and etching. The resulting resin inverted crystals clearly presented the photonic stop gaps within terahertz wave region and the frequencies of the gaps were confirmed to agree well with calculation by plane wave expansion method.

Thermal management technology is a critical element in all new chip generations, caused by a power multiplication combined with a size reduction. A heat sink, mounted on a base plate, requires the use of special materials possessing both high thermal conductivity (TC) and a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that matches semiconductor materials as well as certain packaging ceramics. In this study, nano tungsten coated copper powder has been developed with a wide range of compositions, 90W-10Cu to 10W-90Cu. Powder technologies were used to make samples to evaluate density, TC, and CTE. Measured TC lies among theoretical values predicted by several existing models.

Recently, in spindle motors for hard disk drive (HDD) devices, fluid dynamic bearings (FDB) with herringbone grooves have come to be used instead of ball bearings due to the demand for high density recording of the devices etc. In this study, a 5-lobe bearing with high bearing stiffness using a sintered material was developed, and the bearing performance was examined by simulated calculations and experiments. As a result, it was clarified that the 5-lobe bearing had the required performance for practical use in the spindle motor for HDD

A comparative study is made on root bending fatigue performance of spur gears and plane bending fatigue performance of notched test bars. R = 0 root bending fatigue tests are made on small spur gears with critical root radius 1.0 mm. The results are compared to plane bending fatigue tests of 0.9 mm radius notched specimens. Results are presented for tests on 4%Ni/2%Cu/1.5%Mo prealloyed PM steel with addition of about 0.6% graphite. Predicted values from the test bars coincide well with the results obtained from the gear root fatigue tests.

Fe-4Ni-0.5Mo-1Cu powder was selected as raw material, pressed and sinter-hardened at for 30 min with rapid cooling. The density varies in the range of . Its fatigue properties have been tested in axial loading of alternating tensile/compressive stress at R=-1 with a servo-pulse pump. The fatigue endurance limit was measured to be 260 MPa. The microstructure showed more homogeneous bainite and martensite. Fractography displayed the fatigue cracks initiated from the pore areas near the surface. A non-typical ductile fatigue striation was found. More dimples occurred on fracture surface due to the plastic deformation, which can prohibit cracking propagation and improve its fatigue properties.

For attaining optimum fatigue resistance of PM steels, high density levels are necessary. In this work, sintered steels Fe-1.5%Mo-0.6%C and Fe-1.5%Cr-0.2%Mo-0.6%C were produced with density levels of 7.1 to . Ultrasonic fatigue testing with 20 kHz was performed in push-pull mode up to 10E9 cycles. It was shown that the fatigue endurance strength is strongly improved by higher density levels, but also higher sintering temperatures are beneficial. The Cr-Mo steels proved to be superior to the plain Mo alloyed, due to a more favourable as-sintered matrix microstructure.

The influence of porosity (P) on Young's modulus (E) and Poisson's ratio of sintered steels produced from four types of steel powders was investigated. The values of E and depend mainly on the value of P, and those were a little affected by alloying elements. The relationships between E, , and P were described as following equations: and , where subscript 0 means P = 0, and and are empirical constants. These approximate equations showed good agreement with empirical results.

Selective surface densification is a tool for improving the mechanical properties of PM steels, such that the requirements for highly loaded gears can be matched. This paper describes the manufacturing and the properties of a helical P/M gear. The gear performance was evaluated on a 3-shaft back to back test rig, on a load bearing test rig and on a sound test bench. The results of these tests are presented and compared to data obtained from solid steel gear with identical geometry and surface quality. This comparison indicates that P/M gears have a load bearing capacity and noise level which are both well comparable to solid steel gears.

Sintered materials have been applied widely in Valve Seat Inserts (VSI). The amount of wear on VSIs increases when used in gas (LPG, CNG) engines because of their dry environments. In this paper, two newly developed high performance VSI materials for gas engines are introduced. These materials applied new techniques, which are both high performance hard particle and new distribution method of solid lubricant, to increase wear resistance.

Highly compressible Ni-Mo steels are attractive materials for PM due to high sinter density and ease of processing. Extra-fine Ni admixed PM steels have demonstrated improved mechanical properties and rolling contact fatigue resistance due to a more uniform microstructure and increased Ni diffusion during sintering. Sinter densities of single press single sinter XF Ni-Mo steels can approach at moderate compaction pressures. Leaner alloys based on extra-fine Ni powder are possible depending on the performance requirements of the PM steel part. Extra-fine Ni steels are particularly attractive for the growing market of high performance PM gears and sprockets.

To manufacture a flange for a compressor with a relief groove by using powder metallurgy in order to prevent deformation to the compressor in operation, powder material for the flange is charged into a mold; an ablative member having a melting point lower than that of the powder material is positioned at a place where a relief groove is to be formed; the flange is formed by compressing the powder material and the ablative member; and the formed flange is sintered at a temperature between the melting point of the powder material and the ablative member so as to melt and remove the ablative member. It made according to the new method has more excellent strength and airtight property than the conventional one. It is analyzed that the ablative member is melted and penetrated into the flange structure during the sintering process, which results in improvement of the airtight property and increase of the strength.

In late years, from a trend for ecology of auto motive engine, low emission and low fuel consumption of engine become a social assignment. At the same time, the high output (high efficiency) is required, too. In order to meet those requirements, in comparison with conventional engines, lean A/F (Air fuel ratio) setting is becoming popular for the high performance engines of late years. Exhaust valve seat (sintered material) used in these engines has a problem in wear resistance, because it is exposed to the surroundings that is clean and a high temperature in comparison with the conventional engines. Therefore, wear mechanism with lean A/F of engine was analyzed.The exhaust valve seat (sintered material), that was superior in wear resistance, was developed.

M390 microclean(R) of Edelstahl is a powder metallurgical plastic mould steel with a high level of corrosion and wear resistance and therefore often used in the plastics processing industry. But as a consequence of rapidly advancing developments in the plastics processing industry the required level of wear resistance of tool steels in this field is constantly rising. For that reason a new PM tool steel with higher hardness values and an increased amount of primary carbides has been developed to improve the resistance against abrasive and adhesive wear. The wear resistance of both steels against adhesive situations for components of the plastification unit of injection moulding machines has been tested with a novel method. In case of processing polyolefins with an injection moulding machine it was found that there is adhesive wear between the check-ring and the flights of the screw tip of the non-return valve under certain circumstances. The temperature in that region was measured with an infrared temperature sensor. The existence of significant peaks of that signal was used as an indicator for an adhesive wear situation.