PowderMet          AMPM          Special Interest          TNT Presentations

056 - A Representative Case Study: Improving Production Efficiency Through Changes to Surface Finish of Tooling
Tevis Jacobs, Surface Design Solutions, Inc.

Production efficiency in powder manufacturing is limited by sub-optimal surface quality of tooling. Poor surface finish can lead to a higher-than-expected rate of cleaning or repolishing, additional idle time during press set-up, and even early failure of the tool. While powerful CAD/CAM software helps to design the geometry of punches, dies, and molds; the industry has lacked an equally powerful software for the design of their surface finish. Instead, engineers must rely on intuition or trial-and-error testing to figure out which surface finish produces acceptable performance. Because of this, manufacturers must frequently tolerate extensive downtime and long optimization cycles as the cost of doing business.

Here we discuss an opportunity to improve production efficiency, and deliver quantifiable cost savings, through simple improvements in surface finish. Using only existing QA measurements that most manufacturers are already collecting, we use a machine-learning approach to create an easy-to-measure surface specification that is purpose-built to improve production efficiency in powder manufacturing. We will describe a representative case study where hundreds of thousands of dollars can be saved per year through small changes to surface finishing.

012 - Ejection Friction Force of a Compacted Part Correlation to Compacting Force
David Morales, Capstan

Determination of Ejection Friction force is necessary in the development of a compacted part, tooling and proprietary multi-level tool assemblies.

With powder type, part length, lubricant type and tool steel/finish all being variables that affect Ejection Friction Force, a direct correlation using known inputs such as surface area and Powder Compaction T.S.I. would be very helpful in the preparation of tool design, lube type and press selection. This presentation reviews the methods used, data collected, and inputs needed to calculate Ejection Friction Force.

025 - A Study of Stresses and Triaxiality in MPIF Std 10 Specimens
Abhishek Chawan, Means Industries- Amsted Auto

Reports from within the powder metallurgy (PM) community indicate difficulties with tensile testing of MPIF Std 10 test specimens because the specimens can break outside of the gage section. Lack of repeatability in the location of failure prevents results from being used, causes the results to be questioned, and can increase testing costs. The absence of finite element analysis (FEA) studies to visualize the stresses and triaxiality in the various tensile bar geometries used by the PM industry was the motivation for this research. This paper will focus on conducting FEA on the various tensile bar geometries in MPIF Std 10. Mises stress, max principal stress, and triaxiality will be extracted, and high stress areas will be identified. After analyzing existing geometries of specimens, new geometries may be proposed to improve the chances of breaking in the gage section.

087 - Powder Metal Processing for Thermal Conductivity Applications
Ian Donaldson, FAPMI, GKN Sinter Metals

Thermal management (TM) is of critical consideration for hybrid and battery electric vehicles (BEV). For example, in the BEV, the TM system is responsible for cooling (and heating) the battery, electric motors, onboard computing and power electronics while maintaining cabin temperature for the driver and passengers. While internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have a heat source that only requires cooling, with a BEV it is necessary to employ TM systems to control the battery temperature within an optimal range of temperature under high and low temperatures. These requirements provide an opportunity for powder metal (PM) components for both active and passive heat and cooling applications. With the ability to tailor PM materials and geometry through high volume processing, PM is becoming attractive to the automotive industry. An overview of processing and opportunities for PM sourcing is discussed along with comparison to other materials such as cast aluminum which highlights that PM materials are suitable for TM applications.

090 - Properties of Iron-Based Premixes Using a New Lubricant
Amir Shirani, Rio Tinto Metal Powders

This study evaluated the rheological characteristics of various iron-based premixes from Rio Tinto using a newly developed lubricant, ATOLUBE SF. The objective was to investigate different aspects of powder flowability using advanced rheology instrument (GranuDrum) and classic flowmeters. The study compared the die-filling capability and powder flow at both room temperature (RT) and higher temperature and humidity conditions. To evaluate their green and sintered properties, the premixes were tested with varying amounts of lubricant, and their green and sintered properties were compared at different compaction forces and temperatures.

083 - Effect of Impurities on Aging of Sintered Soft Magnetic Materials
Bruce Lindsley, Hoeganaes Corporation

Magnetic aging is well known to be troublesome for sintered soft magnetic materials, in which magnetic permeability decreases over time or when exposed to elevated operating temperatures. Impurities, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, even in the smallest amounts, lead to large decreases in magnetic performance. We present the effects of such impurities on permeability and coercivity with respect to time and temperature to illustrate the importance of chemistry, purity of base material, and processing control. FF-0000 and FY-4500 materials with various carbon impurity levels are studied to determine absolute magnetic aging effect and potential methods to achieve these results faster in a more controlled manner.

080 - A First Look at Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Copper for Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Miranda Vader, PMT, Kymera International

The additive manufacturing industry is seeing an increasing demand for copper alloys in the space and defense markets. These are challenging application spaces where the selected material must maintain sufficient strength and conductivities at elevated temperatures. Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) Copper offers a solution due to it’s properties being derived from a fine dispersion of oxide particles that are minimally affected by high temperatures. Traditionally used in extruded form, Kymera has optimized powder feedstock to enable processing of ODS copper via laser powder bed fusion. Data such as powder characteristics, print parameter development, and material properties will be examined in this paper.

065 - Boron Modified Silica Nano-Lubricant as a Powder Rheology Modifier and Sintering Aid for AISI 420
Arun Chattopadhyay, Amaero Advanced Materials & Manufacturing, Inc.

The use of nano-lubricants in powder metallurgy is a major advancement for various additive manufacturing processes. The use of nano-additives in the form of nano-particles is highly efficient due to their high surface area and ability to adhere specifically on metal particles smaller than 10 micron. This study is aimed to investigate the effect of adding boron-modified SiO2 nano-powder on the sintering properties of AISI 420 stainless steel (SS). The final density, dimensional changes, and mechanical properties have been studied for the samples prepared under a series of sintering conditions.

076 - Precious Metal Additive Manufacturing
Ingwar Huensche, C.Hafner GmbH + Co. KG

In the fast-growing additive manufacturing (AM) field, precious metals have been added to the list of metals with validated processes. Precious metals have a long history rich in tradition, including luxury jewelry, medtech and industrial applications. The potential of combining AM and precious metals can be more pronounced compared to non-precious metal processing based on the high raw material value and the importance for resource efficiency. AM performance enhancements are based on improved grain microstructure compared to casting. Further, a simplified production chain, performed completely with NC processes, improves both part-to-part and batch consistency. This is important for critical surface finish and/or micro-size features in miniaturized components for medical devices. Design freedom, component integration, weight and overall material input reduction create economic benefits, along with lower manufacturing costs due to near net-shape forms, hollow or honeycomb structures, reduced tool and recycling efforts. Integration of features can eliminate assembly. Precious metal AM is generally used to produce pre-forms, such as near-net shapes, where components are finished with state-of-the-art precision machining technologies. Viability of AM with precious metal powders has been validated in continuous, lights out, 99.9+% density, defect-free production of various precious metal alloy components. Exemplary life cycle assessments of the creation of precious metal products by AM attest an enhanced material efficiency and a significantly reduced product carbon footprint.

026 - Effect of Powder Characteristics on the Sintering Behavior of Binder Jet Printed Cu-30Ni
Zachary Harris, University of Pittsburgh

Cu-30Ni is extensively used for marine applications due to its excellent resistance to biofouling and corrosion in seawater. However, conventional casting supply chains for Cu-30Ni components often have lead times stretching beyond one year, which has motivated significant interest in additive manufacturing (AM) for on-demand, on-site component production. While investigations to date have largely focused on laser-based AM modalities, there is growing interest in using binder jet printing (BJP) to produce Cu-30Ni components due to the reduced anisotropy of built parts and higher tolerance for non-ideal powders. However, work to-date is highly limited on BJP of Cu-30Ni and best practices for printing and sintering are not established. This study seeks to address these knowledge gaps by investigating the sintering behavior of three distinct Cu-30Ni feedstocks: (1) gas-atomized spherical powder, (2) low-cost, machined powder, and (3) plasma-spheroidized low-cost, machined powder. Analysis of particle size and sphericity distributions for each feedstock confirm that, while the nominal size distributions are similar, the machined powder is highly irregular relative to the other feed stocks. Sintering behavior was then studied via thermomechanical analysis and sintering of both compacted and binder jet printed specimens, revealing notable differences in the achieved density for each feedstock. These results provide key insights into the material property trade-offs that will arise with the use of different powder feedstocks, providing a pathway to enable cost-effective BJP for Cu-30Ni components.

028 - Hybrid Solid-State Additive Manufacturing
Animesh Bose, FAPMI, AMfg Labs LLC

This study examines a hybrid additive manufacturing approach that combines cold spray deposition and sintering, applied to pure copper and copper-based alloys. By comparing as-sprayed and as-sintered stages to traditional press and sinter powder metallurgy, we assess interparticle bonding, density, and mechanical properties. Results show cold spray’s potential for higher initial density and flexibility in geometry, positioning it as a valuable alternative shaping technology as casting and forging capabilities decline.

079 - On-Site Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Generation Enables Cost and Carbon Footprint Benefits
Devon Landry, Nel Hydrogen

While traditional annealing and brazing of carbon steel parts can be tolerant of widely-variable atmosphere composition including not only delivered hydrogen but also dissociated ammonia and even exo and endo gases, the stainless steel and other higher-value metals used in MIM and Metal AM that require a reducing atmosphere for sintering are best served by a dry, pure hydrogen atmosphere. Traditionally, the pure hydrogen atmosphere has been supplied by delivered gas, but on-site hydrogen generation using water electrolysis is making steady inroads, particularly in the rapidly expanding number of sites doing binder jet Metal AM. The ability to access all of the hydrogen needed for sintering, but with virtually no hydrogen storage, is making it much simpler and less expensive to outfit new and existing facilities to enable them to support binder jet sintering. Additionally, because on-site hydrogen generation uses facility electricity to make hydrogen without carbon dioxide releases, any facility that uses clean electricity supply (renewable or nuclear) will be able to claim a zero carbon footprint associated with their sintering activity.

518 - Gas Atomizer for Refractory Metal Alloys
Aamir Abid, Retech Systems, LLC

There is an increase in demand for refractory metal alloy powders using additive manufacturing modalities. To improve the overall efficiency of gas turbines, high-quality refractory metal alloy powders are required in pilot or production scale quantities. High-temperature alloys are also required to solve corrosion and thermal stability challenges in renewable energy applications. Current powder production methods are not suitable to produce such powder as the process requires an engineered feedstock such as rod or wire. Many alloy systems of interest are either too brittle to form rod/wire (for example, refractory high entropy alloys) or have a complex chemistry that is not commercially available. Retech has developed an atomization system that provides a larger production capacity for a range of metal and alloy powders utilizing Plasma Arc Melting (PAM) in combination with gas atomization. Plasma melting allows for the introduction of a broad range of feed materials including revert without incurring the additional cost of processing feed to wire or bar forms. With this flexibility of feed materials, recycling high-value materials become an economically viable option. The powders produced on the Plasma Atomizer are spherical with minimal satelliting and low internal porosity. Refractory metal alloy Particle Size Distribution (PSD), morphology, and chemistry will be presented in this study.

500 - Critical Properties of Plasma Spheroidized Tungsten Heavy Alloy Powder and Their Impact on L-PBF Printing
Evan Ryan, Elmet Technologies LLC

Tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) is a machinable, high-density metal with mechanical properties comparable to other engineering materials. Traditional manufacturing methods like powder metallurgy and metal injection molding often limit geometric complexity. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers a promising alternative for WHA component fabrication.

WHA powder feedstock for L-PBF printing is produced through rotary atomization of a metal slurry, followed by plasma densification and reduction. While many properties are closely monitored, three critical properties—bulk density, Hall flow, and oxygen content—have a significant impact on the final printed part. This presentation will outline the general production process and explain how the variance in critical properties will affect the performance of the printed part.