What is "powder metallurgy"

n. The metallurgy of producing metal components by compacting and sintering powdered metals

n. the metallurgy of powdered metals; how to produce solid metal objects from powdered metal by compaction and sintering

Powder metallurgy (PM) is a term covering a wide range of ways in which materials or components are made from metal powders. PM processes can avoid, or greatly reduce, the need to use metal removal processes, thereby drastically reducing yield losses in manufacture and often resulting in lower costs.

Powder metallurgy is also used to make unique materials impossible to melt or form in other ways. A very important product of this type is tungsten carbide (WC). WC is used to cut and form other metals and is made from WC particles bonded with cobalt. It is very widely used in industry for tools of many types and globally ~50,000t/yr is made by PM. Other products include sintered filters, porous oil-impregnated bearings, electrical contacts and diamond tools.