The process most frequently employed in the high volume manufacture of aluminum PM components ispremised on “press-sinter-size” technology. In the development of alloy blends amenable to thisapproach, research has emphasized studies on improved compaction and sintering performance withminimal attention given to the final stage – “sizing”. In this work the results of a holistic study on Al-Cu-Mg alloy development that addresses all stages of the PM production process as well as the properties ofthe finished product is presented. Principal means of assessment included thermodynamic modelling(liquid fraction curves, phases present), compaction studies (flow, AD, compressibility, green strength),sintering response (sintered density, dimensional change, tensile properties), and sizing effects (finaldensity and tensile properties). Data have confirmed that specific alloy chemistries can offer strategicgains over current commercial systems such as AC2014 in terms of processing response and the finaltensile properties realized.
展开▼
