Powder metallurgy in 1995

The powder metallurgy industry has enjoyed extraordinary growth during the last three years, based on progress in materials, processes, and equipment. Total metal powder shipments increased 18% in 1994 to 426,050 tons. For the first time, North American iron powder shipments went beyond 338,000 tons in 1994, a 17.4% increase over 1993. The copper and copper-base powder markets in 1994 reached 23,000 tons, growing slightly less than 3% over 1993. The parts segment of this market reached 19,670 tons, almost flat with 1993 because of the sharply rising price of copper on world commodity markets. This article will discuss advances in steel powders and processing, the range of iron powder applications, advanced particulate materials, equipment improvements, and standards development.