Why P/M Provides the Advantage

In conventional powder metallurgy (P/M), structural stainless steel parts are produced by pressing alloy powder of the appropriate composition in a die to produce a compact. The compact is then sintered at an elevated temperature in a controlled atmosphere, bonding the particles together by diffusion and densifying the part. In this paper the P/M process is reviewed and its capabilities are discussed. Following this, the more common stainless steel compositions are detailed and the advantages of the P/M process are summarized.