Developments of the Belarussian Republic scientific and production union for powder metallurgy in the area of new materials and methods and their use in machine building

Abstract

Today the Republic of Belarus is emerging as a region of skilled machine building, of developed chemical, petrochemical, light, and food industries, and electronics. Traditional products of the specialization of its industry are wheeled tractors, trucks, metal cutting tools, automatic lines, wrist-watches, motorcycles, television sets, computers, household refrigerators, bicycles, bearings, and electrical equipment. This determines the directions of scientific investigations in the area of powder metallurgy including the development of new materials and effective methods of production from them of parts of mechanisms, machines, equipment, etc. The start of development of powder metallurgy in the republic was the creation in 1957 of a special laboratory in the Department of Metals Technology of the Belorussian Polytechnic Institute. In 1980 there was formed the Belorussian Republic Scientific and Production Union for Powder Metallurgy, which included the Scientific-Research and Design Technology Institute for Powder Metallurgy (the head organization) and Molodechno Powder Metallurgy Plant. The path of development of power metallurgy in the republic was long and complex. For example, while in 1960 there were two areas in Belorussia with a total volume of production of about 20 tons of parts, in 1990 14 areas, shops, and a plant with a total volume of production of 8500 tons had been placed in service. In the territory of the republic alone more than 50 areas for the application of coatings have been created in recent years with the direct participation of the union. Today the primary directions in the activity of the union are development of the theoretical fundamentals of use of pulsed loads for creation of powder and composite materials with increase physicomechanical and functional properties, the development of new powder and composite materials and progressive methods of production from them of parts for machine building and other branches of technology with use of methods of static pressing, hot and cold forming, and sintering of freely poured powder, development of the theoretical fundamentals of application of protective coatings on machine and tool parts, and the development of equipment for accomplishment of them. As the result of training of engineering and scientific personnel in the Belorussian Polytechnic Institute (now the Polytechnic Academy) a well operating chain of scientific research-design and technology development-experimental production-industrial production-training of personnel has been established. In the union a broad range of materials which have found use in the machine building, radio and electronics, and electrical industries has been developed. To satisfy the requirements of industry Molodechno Powder Metallurgy Plant has started production of new forms of highly effective production such as blanks for electrical machinery commutators, gear hydraulic pump parts, friction parts, thermal tubes, and filters. New tribotechnical and constructional materials, coatings resistant to wear and corrosion, and porous materials are being developed. High-Density Constructional Materials and Parts of Powder Metallurgy Ferrous and Nonferrous Metals Produced with Use of Plastic Deformation of the Sintered Blanks. One of the effective methods of increasing the physicomechanical properties of ferrous and nonferrous metal-base powder metallurgy materials is plastic deformation of sintered powder metallurgy blanks in the cold condition and with heating. The essence of these processes is plastic flow of the sintered material under the action on it of external loads at normal or increased temperatures. This provides production of parts of the required