Similarities and differences between powder metallurgy and casting metallurgy

Casting-The casting materials are not limited, and can be shapes, plates, belts, rods, etc.

Powder-metal or metal powder (or mixture of metal powder and nonmetal powder) is used as raw material.

2. Technology

Casting-that is, using the phase transition from liquid to solid to molding, the metal is completely melted and the structure of the final product changes.

Powder-is a process technology that takes metal or metal powder (or the mixture of metal powder and nonmetal powder) as raw materials and makes metal materials, composite materials and various products through molding and sintering.

3. Heat treatment

Casting-according to different materials and performance requirements, different heat treatment processes can be adopted, such as annealing, quenching, solution treatment and aging strengthening of aluminum alloy;

Powder-conventional powder metallurgy method, the material can not be completely dense, it will inevitably produce some gaps, reducing its strength. According to the different requirements of material properties, it is decided whether to carry out heat treatment after sintering. Generally, the properties of materials can be improved by quenching and tempering.

4. Organizational control

Castings-The structure of castings is generally dense.

Powder-powder can obtain uniform and fine microstructure through process control, which completely avoids the segregation of composition and microstructure produced by casting. However, powder metallurgy materials have to undergo hot isostatic pressing, and the compactness of ordinary sintered materials is not as good as that of casting.