PowderMet          AMPM          Special Interest          TNT Presentations

055 - The Effects of High Green Strength Lubricant in Silver Tungsten Powder
Julie Hedlund, Penn State University, DuBois

Conventional lubricants used as a binder in silver tungsten carbide powder CW0719 for the fabrication of silver tungsten contacts has, unfortunately, been linked/identified as a possible cause for visual defects in the product that include cracking and peeling. In turn, this led to an unsatisfactory fallout quantity. This study was performed to investigate the effects of substituting the current lubricant with high green strength lubricant to improve the quality of green parts during production. To achieve this, a comprehensive assessment and characterization of powder characteristics, flow property, green strength, and mechanical properties of sintered parts, as well as a visual defect inspection was performed on parts made with the high green strength lubricant and the results compared to previously collected data on conventionally made parts. This paper presents the results that include cost benefits in terms of labor and materials.

072 - Mix Solution for High Green-Strength and Green Machining
Amber Tims, PMT, North American Höganäs Co.

A new mix system that provides increased green strength has been developed. By achieving a high green strength, it is possible to reduce the formation of green cracks during part ejection and handling which provide the possibility of reducing green scrap. Another potential opportunity with high green strength is the ability to facilitate green machining. This mix system has been developed to provide high strength together with good fillability and ejection characteristics. In this study, the performance of this newly developed mix system is evaluated and compared to the common industry lubricant amide wax. This new mix system is shown to increase the green strength by up to 60% in a FC-0208 material system compared to premixes based on amide wax. This increase in green strength will also be shown to provide opportunity for a robust green machining solution.

050 - Improving Productivity Through Mix Selection
Roland Warzel III, North American Höganäs Co.

As powder metallurgy (PM) components become more complex, selecting a powder mix solution to meet the challenging geometries while maintaining productivity requirements becomes critical. Mix powder properties are known to impact the productivity of PM component production. Improving the flow rate, for example, allows for better filling of the die cavity and faster stroke rates. Binder treated mixes were developed to bind the fine graphite particles to the larger iron particles. This mixing technology results in improved powder flow compared to a traditional premix. A new binder treated mix has been developed to provide excellent fillability through fast flow rates and high apparent density. In this paper, the properties of this new mix solution will be compared to other mix solutions for powder properties, fillability and ejection performance. The study also examines the effect of press stroke rate on the green compact properties for different mix types.

044 - MPIF Material and Test Method Standards—Recent Developments
W. Brian James, FAPMI, PMtech

Standard test methods and material standards developed by MPIF are constantly being reviewed and revised where necessary. New test method standards are regularly considered for development and new material standards are introduced as the PM industry expands its portfolio of processes and products. This presentation will provide an update on recent changes and additions related to standards for conventional PM, metal injection molding, and additive manufacturing.

062 - Engineering Information in MPIF Standard 35–SP: Part I
W. Brian James, FAPMI, PMtech

In addition to specifying chemical composition requirements and summarizing mechanical property data for standardized MPIF PM materials, MPIF Standard 35–SP, Material Standards for PM Structural Parts has an Engineering Information section that includes a wide variety of engineering data that will be helpful to product design engineers. These engineering data do not constitute specification values. They were, however, developed through several different testing programs under the guidance of the MPIF Standards Committee or The Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology. In Part I of this two-part presentation details will be provided relating to axial fatigue, strain-controlled fatigue, rolling contact fatigue (RCF), and fracture toughness. Guidelines for specifying a PM part will be summarized.

063 - Engineering Information in MPIF Standard 35–SP: Part II
W. Brian James, FAPMI, PMtech

In addition to specifying chemical composition requirements and summarizing mechanical property data for standardized MPIF PM materials, MPIF Standard 35–SP, Material Standards for PM Structural Parts has an Engineering Information section that includes a wide variety of engineering data that will be helpful to product design engineers. These engineering data do not constitute specification values. They were, however, developed through several different testing programs under the guidance of the MPIF Standards Committee or The Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology. In Part II of this two-part presentation details will be provided relating to hardenability, coefficient of thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity. Steam oxidation of ferrous PM materials will be covered including the effect of steam treatment on mechanical properties. The corrosion resistance of PM stainless steels and tests for corrosion resistance will be discussed.

032 - Can Melt Flow Rate Be a Predictive Tool to Control Particle Size Distribution: A Comparison of the Powder Properties Obtained From the EIGA Atomization Process
Arun Chattopadhyay, Amaero Advanced Materials & Manufacturing, Inc.

The study investigated the characterization of Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) and Zr-4 alloy powders by adjusting melt flow rates in the Electrode Induction Melting Inert Gas Atomization (EIGA) process. This method is critical for producing high-quality powders required for advanced powder metallurgy applications, mainly additive manufacturing, which demands ideal flow, low porosity, and smooth surfaces.

For this research, Ti64 powders were produced using 100mm x 1000mm electrodes, while Zr-4 powders used 70mm x 1000mm electrodes. Short atomization runs (15–20 kg) allowed fine-tuning parameters for scalable production, though achieving a stable particle size distribution (PSD) proved complex. Atomization pressure emerged as a critical factor for consistent PSD, but particle morphology, including sphericity and satellite formation, varied with melt flow rate adjustments.

042 - High-Performance Powders via Powder2Powder Ultrasonic Atomization
Jakub Ciftci, AMAZEMET Sp. z o. o. [Ltd.]

Current methods for the production of spherical powders restrict the development of custom particles with tailored chemical compositions. This challenge is even greater when the input material is already a powder. The proposed Powder2Powder ultrasonic atomization process based on plasma melting allows the supply of the powder via a modified plasma torch to melt the material on the sonotrode.

During processing the liquid, in contact with a surface vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies, forms standing capillary waves that lead to the ejection of fine droplets. As the amplitude of these waves increases, the wave crests can reach a critical height where the cohesive forces of the liquid are overcome by the surface tension, leading to the ejection of droplets from the wave tips.

The material in the form of powder was used to atomize refractory alloy from the powder blend which was melted in the plasma stream and atomized from the top of the sonotrode. The atomization capabilities were inspected by particle size distribution analysis, and chemical analysis including oxygen content in the final powder. Additional case studies will be presented using irregular and other out-of-spec additive manufacturing feedstocks.

020 - Ultrasonic Atomization for Producing High-Performance Aluminum Alloys for Additive Manufacturing
Rafael Casas Ferreras, Technology Innovation Institute

Aluminum alloys are recognized as appealing materials for additive manufacturing (AM) due to their lightweight characteristics, high strength-to-weight ratios, and excellent corrosion resistance. These attributes render aluminum alloys particularly suitable for applications in demanding environments such as the aerospace, defense, and energy sectors, where materials are subjected to extreme thermal and mechanical stresses. Nevertheless, conventional aluminum alloys often lack the necessary properties for reliable performance under such challenging conditions. Recent advancements in metal additive manufacturing, particularly in powder bed fusion (PBF) processes, facilitate the design and optimization of custom aluminum alloys specifically tailored for high-performance applications.

This study investigates the production of custom Al alloy “AMALLOY3D” powders using Ultrasonic Atomization (UA) and explores the reusability of oversize powders for PBF-LB applications. Different ultrasonic configurations, including varying frequencies and amplitudes, were applied to atomize liquid aluminum, achieving highly spherical powders with a uniform size distribution between 30 and 90 μm and a homogeneous chemical composition. Coarse powders (above 90 μm) were re-atomized to enhance process efficiency. The resulting UA powders exhibited enhanced flowability, particle morphology, and printability compared to commercial Al powders produced by Gas Atomization (GA), positioning UA as a promising approach for creating high-quality, application-specific AM powders.

036 - Analytical Prediction of Yield Strength for Ti-6Al-4V in Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Wei Huang, Georgia Institute of Technology

In additive manufacturing, material properties are directly related to the evolution of microstructures affected by processing parameters. Compared to the traditional test-and-trial and finite element analysis (FEA) approaches, physics-based analytical simulation is more cost-efficient, resource-saving, and environmentally friendly for building the processing-structure-properties relationship to rapidly predict the microstructure evolution and material properties based on the input processing parameters. Yield strength is an important property that scholars and industries attach importance to. There has not been appropriate analytical work to model this property for laser powder bed fusion or additive manufacturing. In this work, several theories, including the Hall-Petch equation, mechanical threshold stress (MTS), and grain size-modified MTS models, have been employed to predict yield strength processed. Ti-6Al-4V is utilized as the sample material for validation. The prediction accuracy of various models has also been compared with the discussion. This work provides a capstone for the analytical simulation of yield strength for additive manufacturing.

077 - Thermal Conductivities of Metal and Ceramic Powders Using the Hot Disk Method for Applications in Injection Molding and Additive Manufacturing
Artem Trofimov, Orton Ceramic Foundation

Thermal conductivity plays a crucial role in powder injection molding (PIM) of metal (MIM) and ceramic (CIM) materials, as well as in additive manufacturing (AM). It aids in simulations, optimizing processing parameters, assessing component quality, estimating porosity, etc. However, only a few techniques are available for measuring the thermal conductivity of initial powders or feedstocks (powder + binder), and even fewer instruments can evaluate thermal conductivity at each stage of the production process, from powders and green parts to sintered and fully dense parts.

In this work, the Hot Disk Transient Plane Source technique is proposed for thermal characterization due to its ability to provide both thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity from a single measurement, enabling the calculation of volumetric heat capacity. It allows the characterization of both solid samples and powders, accommodates a wide range of sample sizes (from a few millimeters and larger), and can differentiate between through-plane and in-plane thermal properties.

The Hot Disk method is applied to copper, tungsten, 17-4PH steel, 316L steel, and yttria-stabilized zirconia powders. Thermal transport properties — conductivity, diffusivity, and heat capacity — are evaluated, revealing correlations with material type, powder density, and particle size distribution.

004 - The Link Between Powder Cohesiveness and Spreadability Evaluated Through Multi-Layer Analysis
Filip Francqui, Granutools

Evaluating the spreadability of new materials during production is usually not feasible due to the cost associated with the minimum batch volume to fill in the machine and the time required to clean between each test. Studies have demonstrated the link between powder cohesiveness and spreadability. ISO/ASTM TR 52952:2023 provides a methodology to predict the spreadability of metallic powders based on the Cohesive index metric (GranuDum, Granutools). However, the spreadability was evaluated directly inside the printer which, despite the advantage of being close to the process condition, does not allow deep investigation of the mechanism leading to irregular layers. To tackle some of the limitations of the in-situ evaluation, a test bench has been developed and instrumented (LEM3, France). Powder layers are sequentially deposited, and the layer quality is evaluated between each layer. The device is instrumented with a confocal microscope used to precisely measure profiles of the height variation across the layer. The layer local topology is thus directly accessible. The results show good agreement with the previous measurements done in the printer. Furthermore, the evolution of the layer quality between the initial layers is evaluated. Indeed, we observed a rapid improvement in layer quality over the first 10 layers. This emphasizes the difference between spreading a layer over a flat bed or over previous powder layers. Therefore, multi-layers analysis are essential for proper spreadability evaluation.

518 - Developing Powder Metallurgy Components for Electric Vehicle Drivetrains
George Coppens, Amsted Automotive

Automobile manufacturers regularly source drivetrain components and assemblies from suppliers. Make to print suppliers produce components from designs and specifications provided by the customer. Design responsible suppliers develop, test, and manufacture solutions to meet customer requirements. Regardless of supplier type, the creation of any automotive component requires significant time, effort, communication, and documentation in an industry that is driven by cost and time to market. This presentation will cover the groups involved, the systems and processes used, and the challenges encountered by a design responsible supplier when developing powder metallurgy components for electric vehicle drivetrains.

088 - Powder Metal Fatigue and Assessment via the FKM Guideline
Ian Donaldson, FAPMI, GKN Sinter Metals

The FKM guideline for analytical strength assessment of mechanical components has gained an increasing interest for the last couple decade because it describes a general procedure directly applicable for product design. In general, the FKM guideline requires several model parameters to approximate the material response in terms of mean stresses, stress concentrations, process influences and scatter. It provides a dependable basis for finite element analysis, making an efficient connection between stress results and a reliable safety margin. It is based on local stresses obtained by FEA for various materials and loading conditions. But with respect to powder metallurgy (press and sinter ferrous and aluminum, MIM, and AM) components, the FKM guideline has ignored it until recently. This paper will discuss work to date and utilization of the guideline with powder metallurgy.

504 - Applications and Opportunities for Powder Metallurgy in Next-Gen Electric Vehicles Drivetrains
George Coppens, Amsted Automotive

The designs of electric vehicle drivetrains continue to diverge further from those of internal combustion vehicles which presents new opportunities and challenges, especially in disconnect and multi-speed shifting solutions. Original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1 drivetrain suppliers demand smaller, lighter, and more torque dense products that increase battery range or decrease battery size while being invisible to the driver. Press and sinter powder metal components remain an immediate option for some use cases while high-torque and high-speed applications require advancement in powder metallurgy capabilities. This presentation will cover the latest EV drivetrain offerings from Amsted Automotive for multi-speed shifting and drivetrain disconnects. Opportunities to increase powder metal usage will also be discussed.