Powder Metallurgy of Stainless Steels
Summary
Powder metallurgy of stainless steels encompasses the production, shaping and consolidation of alloy powders to deliver near-net-shape components with tailored microstructures and properties. Starting with atomised or mechanically alloyed powders, the process typically involves powder handling, compaction under high pressure and controlled sintering to bond particles and achieve densification. Advances in alloy design have introduced a range of martensitic, ferritic, duplex and austenitic stainless steels optimised for corrosion resistance, strength and toughness. Key challenges include removal of surface oxides, management of oxygen-sensitive alloying elements such as chromium and manganese, and precise control of densification to avoid embrittlement or unwanted phase formation. Emerging routes such as metal-injection moulding and additive manufacturing extend the scope to complex geometries, while liquid-phase sintering using boron or nickel-based master alloys enhances diffusion and final density. The global significance of stainless-steel powder metallurgy lies in its capacity to reduce waste, lower energy consumption and open pathways for high-performance parts in automotive, chemical processing, biomedical and energy sectors.
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Powder Metallurgy of Stainless Steels publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in powder metallurgy of stainless steels across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sintering: Thermal process that bonds powder particles by diffusion to achieve densification.
Liquid-phase sintering: Sintering route in which a transient liquid forms to accelerate particle rearrangement and densification.
Metal-injection moulding (MIM): Technique combining fine metal powders with a polymer binder to form complex shapes before debinding and sintering.
Decarburisation: Loss of carbon from steel during heating, typically through reactions at the surface with oxides or atmosphere.
Densification: Increase in density of a compact during sintering, achieved by elimination of porosity and growth of interparticle bonds.
References
- Effect of atomization on surface oxide composition in 316L stainless steel powders for additive manufacturing. Surface and Interface Analysis (2020).
- Enhanced Densification of PM Steels by Liquid Phase Sintering with Boron-Containing Master Alloy. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A (2017).
- Investigation of Decarburization Behaviour during the Sintering of Metal Injection Moulded 420 Stainless Steel. Metals (2020).
- Analysis of the oxidation process of powders and sinters of the austenitic stainless steel. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (2018).
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