The objective of the activity is to develop and test parts made from powder metallurgy based materials. The aim is to demonstrate and evaluate their suitability for space applications where high temperature resistance, high wear resistance and/or high hardness are required.

 

 

This activity will consist of identifying and possibly modifying (composition, process parameters) powder metallurgy materials used in other industries with similar requirements (e.g. aeronautics, medical industry) or promising novel/advanced materials.

 

Powder metallurgy is currently used in several industries to replace conventional manufacturing processes, for demanding high performance applications, such as aero-engines or medical instruments. Powder metallurgy processes are near-net-shape processes which allow parts with complex shapes to be produced without extensive machining and with reduced material waste. This is highly valuable for high hardness, high wear resistance materials which are very difficult to machine/process and where small imperfections left by the machining process may lead to sudden failure of the final product.

 

Moreover, in powder metallurgy processes (due to their fine grain structure) the material strength is often enhanced compared to parts produced from conventional processes. Defects generated in conventional manufacturing routes such as casting and forging are also reduced (e.g. porosity, microsegregation). Such advantages are of high importance in high temperature structural applications where high strength, good fatigue properties and high creep resistance are required.

 

Powder metallurgy parts are currently used in high temperature aeronautics applications (e.g. turbine discs in Ni-base superalloys) and high wear-resistance

tools. The benefits of powder metallurgy materials are of high interest for space applications, in high temperature parts such as rocket nozzles or where good wear resistance is needed, such as mechanism parts (e.g. gears). Powder metallurgy offers the unique opportunity to produce functionally graded materials with variation of properties (e.g. softer core and harder surface). Main targeted applications could include: mechanisms, ultra-stable structures, mirrors, gears and bearings, telescopes, detectors, optical elements, nozzles and valves as well as damping structures.

 

The following tasks will be performed:

 

• Space applications (among the listed ones) where powder metallurgy will lead to a significant improvement in material structure (including functional grading of properties), part performance, part accuracy and manufacturing efficiency (cost and lead time) will be identified.

• Suitable materials will be selected for the identified applications. This will include powder metallurgy materials used in other industries (including Aeronautics and Medical) as well as promising new/advanced materials (including intermetallics, e.g. TiAl, Metal Matrix Composites, quasicrystal reinforced metals and mixtures only feasible by powder metallurgy, e.g. Cu-W).

• Various consolidation processes will be investigated including Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis (SHS), Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) and the most suitable one selected for the intended applications.

• The powder metallurgy manufacturing route and associated process parameters will be optimized for the identified applications (powder selection, compaction, heat treatment, post-processing) via a dedicated optimization test campaign.

• Demonstrator parts will be manufactured and tested/verified (via a dedicated verification test campaign) to demonstrate success in meeting the applications requirements.