ABSTRACT
Powder metallurgy (PM) is a processing technology of metallic materials which involves producing them rst in the form of powder, and then consolidating them into a solid form by the application of pressure (compaction), and heat (sintering) at a temperature below the melting point of the main constituent. For a growing number of manufacturers, PM is one of the preferred technologies in the manufacture of precision (net shape) metal components. The technique offers a cost-effective alternative to other metal forming processes. The sequence of operations for PM that will be presented in this chapter can be summarized as shown in Figure 12.1. Powder metallurgy is also adopted for manufacturing a wide variety of ceramic materials. Therefore, these ceramic materials as well as their processing techniques are introduced in this chapter.
