Abstract
This paper provides an overview on our recent investigations on the consolidation of hierarchy-structured nanopowder agglomerates and related applications to net-shaping nanopowder materials. Understanding the nanopowder agglomerate sintering (NAS) process is essential to processing of net-shaped nanopowder materials and components with small and complex shape. The key concept of the NAS process is to enhance material transport through controlling the powder interface volume of nanopowder agglomerates. Based upon this concept, we have suggested a new idea of full density processing for fabricating micro-powder injection molded part using metal nanopowder agglomerates produced by hydrogen reduction of metal oxide powders. Studies on the full density sintering of die compacted- and powder injection molded iron base nano-agglomerate powders are introduced and discussed in terms of densification process and microstructure.
Highlights
The potential application of nanoscale materials as novel structural or functional engineering materials largely depends on the consolidation of powders into bulk nanoscale solids
In this paper we reviewed our recent investigations on the consolidation of hierarchy-structured Fe base nanopowder agglomerates in terms of the densification process and microstructure and introduced on their application studies for processing a net-shaped parts
Understanding nanopowder agglomerate sintering (NAS) process is essential to processing of net-shaped nanopowder materials and components with small and complex shape
Summary
The potential application of nanoscale materials as novel structural or functional engineering materials largely depends on the consolidation of powders into bulk nanoscale solids. It was found that atoms diffuse much faster along agglomerate boundaries compared to nano grain boundary This experimental finding provides a breakthrough for processing full density nanopowders by optimal design of the agglomerate structure, i.e., hierarchical interfaces in nanopowders. Based on this processing concept, Lee and his coworkers [3,4,5] fabricated nanograin structured Fe base PIM parts with full density and superior mechanical property owing to grain refinement effect. Current research on low-temperature PIM using hierarchy-structured micro-nano powder feedstock is briefly addressed
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