The University of Utah Powder Metallurgy Research Laboratory, in partnership with the Center of Powder Metallurgy Technology and National Technology Laboratory, was selected for an award of $3.4 million to develop a powder metallurgy-based process technology to produce iron and steel products with drastically reduced energy consumption and carbon dioxide gas emissions. This project represents an opportunity to demonstrate to the manufacturing industry how powder metallurgy can be a gateway to sustainability. The funding is one of the larger federal investments in powder metallurgy in recent decades.

The award was part of the April 18, 2024, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announcement of $28 million in funding for 13 projects across 9 states to advance zero-process-emission ironmaking and ultra-low life cycle emissions steelmaking. The transformative technologies funded through this program would be the first to meet both emissions and cost parity goals, meaning the new, transformative concepts must be cost competitive with existing technologies.

Ames National Laboratory will partner with eight other U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)  National Laboratories to support the Critical Materials Supply Chain Research Facility recently announced by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Ames Lab will lead the Critical Materials Refinery Center, one of four Centers to be established in the Facility.

Critical materials are essential for many clean-energy, defense, transportation, and commercial technologies, and include rare earth metals, lithium, cobalt, and others. High demand, lack of domestic sources and processing, and geopolitical instability can disrupt material supply chains.

April Speaker Roland Warzel, North American Höganäs Co., flanked by West Penn Officers, from left to right: Sean Rupprecht, Treasurer; Brent Matheson, Vice Chairman; Steve Reed, Chairman; and Seth Weible, Secretary.

Ninety-five industry professionals attended the West Penn Chapter April meeting that was sponsored by North American Höganäs Co. Roland Warzel, provided a presentation on “Machining Responses of PM Stainless Steel Components Manufactured Under Different Sintering Conditions”.

Headlines:

Mannesmann to Build Powder and Parts Plants in Soviet Union
Brownsville Bearing Expands and Changes Name
Pyron Recovering from Bad Year
Metallurgical Industries Earnings Decline
New Powder Plant
BTU Engineering Offers High Temperature Sintering Furnace
Feeding System for Compacting Presses
National P/M Conference 
Bill Bradley to Address National P/M Conference
MPIF Short Course 
MPIF Booth at Design Engineering Show
Powder & Bulk Solids Meeting
Metal Matrix Composites Conference 
Soviet P/M Exhibition
People in the News
Dates to Remember
Mannesmann to Build Powder and Parts Plants in Soviet Union
Brownsville Bearing Expands and Changes Name
Pyron Recovering from Bad Year
Metallurgical Industries Earnings Decline
New Powder Plant
BTU Engineering Offers High Temperature Sintering Furnace
Feeding System for Compacting Presses
National P/M Conference 
Bill Bradley to Address National P/M Conference
MPIF Short Course 
MPIF Booth at Design Engineering Show
Powder & Bulk Solids Meeting
Metal Matrix Composites Conference 
Soviet P/M Exhibition
People in the News
Dates to Remember
 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Center for Powder Metallurgy Technology (CPMT) / Axel Madsen Conference Grants provide students with the opportunity to participate and exchange ideas with leading researchers and engineers from worldwide industry and governmental facilities, as well as the students and faculty from both domestic and international universities. The 45 recipients attend the full conference, giving them the chance to learn the latest research areas and results in powder metallurgy fields of interest. These opportunities will not only improve the students’ knowledge in the field, but also develop scientists and engineers who are ideally suited to create the next generation of designs in powder metallurgy and metal additive manufacturing that will push materials and manufacturing capabilities. We estimate that over one-third of the past recipients, those that are not still students, are working in fields connected to PM.