WorldPM          AMPM       Tungsten        Special Interest          TNT Presentations

253 - Can Conventional PM Industry’s Current Low Growth Status become PIE IN THE SKY Status? 
Harb Nayar, FAPMI, TAT Technologies LLC

The answer by the author is RESOUNDING YES with ONE key challenge: We must shift our MINDSET from the saying “One in Hand is better than Two in the Bush” to our own new saying “Keep the One in Hand the best we can and still go after Two in the Bush.”  We MUST start thinking Conventional PM Industry is part and parcel of the much LARGER Iron and Steel Industry.

It is generally felt by most PM parts makers that conventional press-sinter technology is fully mature and has little potential to grow during the next 10 years. Main Reason: Decline in demand in automotive industry.

Harb Nayar, with 60 years of experience in conventional PM, especially in sintering furnaces, atmospheres and powder consolidation processes, will share his technology-based thoughts as to how this mind set can be shifted toward HIGH Growth by encouraging most PM parts maker passing through 3 key GATES in 10 years.

Gate 1: 2 years: Improved Profit Margin by 20%.
Gate 2: 5 years: Broadened product line:
- 3+ new product shapes/sizes with overall SURFACE density of 98+%
- have added at least 1 value added secondary operation like high-speed quench heat treat
- have at least one thermal processing like brazing, annealing, heat treating in existing sintering furnaces
Gate 3: 10 years: STRONG in Conventional PM and EXTRA STRONG in competing with wrought products for high mechanical properties especially Fatigue strength.

237 - Carbon Footprint of Cr-Alloyed PM Parts Processed Through Press and Sinter Route
Dimitris Chasoglou, Höganäs AB

Powder Metallurgy is often described as a more sustainable metal forming technology as compared to i.e. machining. This work extends the scope to the full press-and-sinter route, quantifying the carbon footprint of metal powder components. Product-specific carbon footprints of Cr pre-alloyed base powders were used as input and gear samples were produced for measuring the energy consumption across the compaction cycle and sintering operations. The effect of the sintering process and secondary operations in the form of additional heat treatment was investigated as well in order to get a verifiable dataset at the component level.

The analysis includes different production scenarios where the electricity grid mix and hydrogen production used for the different operations is varied. Results indicate that the contribution of the base powder as well as the overall energy consumption during the part manufacturing are the main factors affecting the carbon footprint. Variations among the different component production steps i.e. compaction pressure and sintering temperature have small effect on the carbon footprint of the finished component. 

183 - Excellence in Powder Metallurgy (PM): A Data Driven Framework for Sintering Efficiency and Lean Manufacturing Implementation
Prashant Mehetre

Achieving world class operational excellence in complex PM environment requires a unique synthesis of deep technical expertise and rigorous lean manufacturing principles. This paper synthesizes decades of practical experience in high volume PM production to outline a framework for maximizing efficiency, consistent quality and reducing environmental impact. This methodology focuses on critical interventions across the PM lifecycle: from powder reduction techniques, meticulous control of sintering processes, protective atmosphere and energy optimization, to application targeted post sintering, secondary processes such as steam and heat treatment. It demonstrate hoe strategic implementation of lean methodologies, such as  5's', Standard work, Visual Management, Autonomous maintenance, Loss time analysis and employee involvement directly translate to superior efficiency and sustainable competitive advantage. The presentation quantify specific achievements that can set industry bench marks. Working on efficiency matrix through detailed analysis setting of strategies that result in Best-In-Class figures for electricity consumption (kWh/Ton), atmospheric gases (Nitrogen, Dissociated Ammonia and LPG) consumption (Cubic meter/Ton and Kgs/Ton), this approach would lead to best practices, Kaizens and Continuous Improvements for high quality PM parts production. Methodology for optimizing a 24 inch mesh belt sintering furnace to achieve throughputs above 180 tons per month is discussed as case study.

273 - Energy Storage Materials Derived from Iron Powder
Cassondra Brayfield, GKN Powder Metallurgy

Energy utilization requires both production and storage of energy.  Energy storage can take several forms, but the most common form is batteries.  The high surface area of metal powder and metal powder products has shown to be highly useful in the exchange of ions that drive batteries.  One example is lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.  The LFP cathode material is often made by combining a lithium source with an iron phosphate precursor.  This precursor in turn can be produced from iron powder.  The properties and use of energy storage products made from iron powder will be discussed.

216 - High-Performance Titanium Carbide MXene-Based Hydrovoltaic Energy Harvester
Kanghyuk Lee, KITECH

Hydrovoltaic energy harvesting, which converts water–solid interactions into electricity via electric double-layer formation and ion transport, is a promising route for self-powered electronics and environmental sensors. In this work, a hydrovoltaic generator based on a cellulose sponge coated with Ti-C-T-MXene is fabricated to investigate the role of MXene in moisture-enabled electricity generation. Ti-C-T-MXene is synthesized by hydrofluoric-acid etching of Ti-AlC-MAX phase followed by delamination to obtain few-layer nanosheets, and the resulting dispersion is used to infiltrate and coat a three-dimensional cellulose sponge, forming a conductive and hydrophilic porous network.

In the measurement configuration, water droplets are applied to one side of the MXene-coated cellulose sponge. The droplets are absorbed and then migrate through the interconnected microchannels, and this directional water transport along the charged porous network induces ion motion and the dynamic formation of an asymmetric electric double layer. As a result, a measurable hydrovoltaic voltage and current are generated without any external bias. Comparison with a pristine cellulose sponge device shows that the presence of Ti-C-T-MXene clearly enhances the electrical output, which is attributed to increased interfacial charge density and improved electronic transport pathways. Although systematic optimization of device geometry and composition is still in progress, these results indicate that MXene-coated porous cellulose structures are a promising platform for water-driven, self-powered energy harvesting systems.

208 - High-Performance FeSiAl SMCs for MHz Applications Enabled by Insulating Coatings of NiZn Ferrite Nanoparticles
Zhaocheng Li, NBTM New Materials Group Co. Ltd.

The exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) computational power has imposed more stringent demands on developing high-performance electronic components capable of operating efficiently at high frequencies. However, achieving high-frequency operation, enhanced power capacity, and miniaturization simultaneously in soft magnetic composites (SMCs) remains a formidable challenge. Traditional insulation coating approaches to improving the high-frequency performance of SMCs have been limited by difficulties in controlling coating thickness, susceptibility to decomposition during heat treatment, and magnetic dilution effects caused by non-magnetic insulating materials. This study addresses these limitations by introducing a novel biomineralization-inspired strategy to coat FeSiAl powders with NiZn ferrite nanoparticles. Inspired by the biomineralization in natural protein nanocages, we synthesized NiZn ferrite nanoparticles with uniform size distribution, exceptional monodispersity, and superparamagnetism through a confined mineralization strategy within self-assembled polymer nano-cavities. The resulting NiZn ferrite/FeSiAl composites, prepared via mechanical mixing, exhibited an intact insulation coating that significantly enhanced magnetic domain wall mobility and electrical resistivity compared to uncoated FeSiAl SMCs. Consequently, the FSA-NZ SMCs demonstrated enhanced relative permeability, a high domain-wall resonance frequency, and remarkably low high-frequency power loss.

193- Cost Effective Powder Metallurgy Process for Manufacturing Titanium Powders
Mykhailo Matviychuk, ADMA Products

Titanium metal is necessary for many defense, industrial and aerospace applications. Titanium sponge needed to produce titanium metal, but it is not currently produced in the United States. ADMA Products, Inc. was successfully involved in developing low cost Hydrogenated titanium powder production and low-cost processes for manufacturing the powders and components produced from these powders. Equipment for manufacturing the Hydrogenated titanium alloyed powders and their activation processes will be shown. The developed powder metallurgy alloys, processes, the material properties and other characteristics such as particle size analyses will be presented. Principals of hydrogen storage abilities of the produced powders will be discussed. Commercialization of low temperature hydride alloys for various storage applications will be also demonstrated.

163 - Cost Effective Powder Metallurgy Process for Manufacturing Titanium Alloys for Critical Aerospace Applications
Mykhailo Matviychuk, ADMA Products

High volume Titanium alloy components were manufacture by low cost ADMATAL tm process using Hydrogenated Titanium powder and master alloys. Blended elemental approach being used to achieve the composition meeting the required specifications. Cold Isostatic pressing followed by hydrogen sintering and subsequent Hot Iso-static pressing produce the  full density components. Over 10,000 near net shape preforms produced by this process are being successfully used for critical aerospace application. The mechanical properties and microstructures will be presented.

266 - Tailored Heat Treatment Strategies for LPBF Ti6242 in Large-Scale Aviation Components
Mahdi Habibnejad Korayem, PMT, Colibrium Additive – GE Aerospace

This study investigates the effect of heat treatment on the monotonic and fatigue behavior of laser-powder bed fused Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo. The as-built microstructure consists of acicular α’ martensite, featured with dense dislocations that result in high strength and low ductility. To preserve the microstructure and achieve strength–ductility synergy, a two-step sub-transus heat treatment is selected: solutionizing (ST) below the β-transus temperature and aging (STA). The ST heat treatment results in the evolution of α/α’ and β phases, with good strength–ductility synergy. The STA treatment causes the dislocations to rearrange, accompanied by a slight strength enhancement. The STA condition showed a small improvement in fatigue life in the high-cycle regime but demonstrated minimal changes compared to the as-built condition for low- to mid-cycle regions. The low and mid-cycle fatigue life of as-built and STA conditions showed noticeably similar results to wrought Ti-6Al-4V fatigue behavior.

092 - Roadmap to Eliminate Internal Defects in Metallic Green Parts Produced by Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (MEX)
Benoit Beaulieu, École de Technologie Supérieure

Shaping parts via MEX, a selective material deposition method using MIM-like feedstocks, presents notable challenges, especially when fast-prototyping one-to-one replacements of MIM samples. Due to its inherent printing principle, MEX tends to introduce random artifacts such as internal discontinuities and, consequently, poor densities, compromising various mechanical properties. These challenges were clearly exposed in prior studies on mechanical behavior of MEX-produced stainless steel samples, revealing early failure caused by volumetric defects acting as crack initiation sites thereby preventing reliable fatigue properties. The current research aims to identify typical defects in green parts produced via MEX and propose a roadmap to eliminate them. The latter aims to control the fabrication process of green parts using a plunger-based MEX printer acting on two major fronts: (1) at the printer level, by introducing dynamic feedback control to the printer movements and extrusion rate, and (2) at the feedstock level, by degassing and homogenising the powder-binder mixtures, ensuring consistent behaviour once in the printer, reducing input noise in control loops.

219 - ColdMetalFusion – Influence of Laser Wavelength of 316L Steel Feedstock
Christian Staudigel, Headmade Materials GmbH

The sinter-based additive manufacturing method called ColdMetalFusion is a manufacturing method for the production of metal parts. A benefit of this method is that the green parts are produced using an unmodified laser powder bed fusion designed for the additive manufacturing of polymer (PBF-LB/P) parts. Simular to other sinter-based methods, green parts are debinded and sintered to form the final metal part. Various PBF-LB/P systems with different laser wavelengths can be used for ColdMetalFusion. This study investigates the impact of different wavelengths on the density, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy of both green and sintered parts. For this comparison, three PBF-LB/P with different laser wavelengths (445 nm, 808 nm, and 10,600 nm) were utilised to produce 316L steel parts via ColdMetalFusion.

101 - Feedstock Viscosity – Possibilities and Limitations in Lithography-Based Metal Manufacturing for Stainless Steel
Alexander Holzer, TU Wien

Sinter-based additive processes, such as lithography-based metal manufacturing (LMM), enable properties and design possibilities that cannot be manufactured any other way. Moveable parts, designed porosity and channels in any kind of shape are only some of the possibilities that open up. The final geometrical precision of LMM is strongly affected by the quality of the decaking and cleaning procedure.

In contrast to direct metal additive manufacturing techniques, the crucial component for photolithography-based metal manufacturing is the binder system itself. Plenty requirements for the binder system need to be fulfilled. In the printing process the feedstock viscosity is directly connected to the roller behaviour and effect the quality of printing. On the other hand, light penetration depth for photopolymerization limits the layer thickness. The decaking and cleaning step decides whether channels can be cleaned or not. In the post-processing, complete removal of the binder system, good green strength, handling after debinding and a low shrinkage pushes to high loadings. All those requirements extend the development of feedstocks enormously and leads to a time- and material-consuming feedstock development process.

In this work, an approach to speed up the feedstock development and reduce material waste is introduced. The measured feedstock viscosity shows the sum of all complex influences in the feedstock. The influence of the temperature, solid loading and particle size is shown separately. In the end, limitations in decaking and cleaning of complex geometries is connected to the feedstock viscosity.

024 - 3D Printable Thermal Neutron Shielding Structure for Spaceborne Microelectronic Protection
Jason Ting, Elementum 3D

The integration of 3D-printed borated aluminum Reactive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) materials into electronic enclosures addresses a critical barrier in deploying commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microelectronics within radiation-intense environments. Traditional shielding solutions, such as Boral®—which uses 40-micron B?C particles—are inherently limited by particle size and heterogeneous boron distribution, yielding only 82.5% of the attenuation achieved by an ideal homogeneous boron-10 configuration. Nano-sized boride particles, formed in situ in laser 3D printing process, overcome these limitations by mitigating thermal neutron channeling and significantly improving attenuation efficiency, even at lower boron concentrations. However, until now, scalable manufacturing of such nanophase borides has been elusive. RAM technology presents a breakthrough: enabling rapid, precision fabrication of multifunctional shielding architectures directly around sensitive electronics using uniformly distributed ~200 nm boride particles. These materials suppress neutron transmission by more than six orders of magnitude while preserving the mechanical integrity of Al6061, offering radiation protection without compromising structural performance. This fusion of form and function opens the door to high-performance electronic enclosures for space systems, hypersonic platforms, and nuclear applications—extending COTS device lifespans, streamlining DOD prototyping, and enabling faster, cost-effective deployment cycles.

014 - In-Situ Additive Manufacturing of Ti–Mo–Zr Alloys for Osseointegrative Implant Applications
Ammarueda Issariyapat, Joining and Welding Research Institute, Osaka University

The development of biocompatible and mechanically robust materials is critical for advancing implant technologies that promote long-term osseointegration. Titanium (Ti) alloys are widely used in biomedical applications; however, conventional systems containing aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V) raise concerns due to potential cytotoxicity and long-term health risks. This study explores the in-situ additive manufacturing of non-toxic Ti–Mo–Zr alloys as a promising alternative for osseointegrative implant applications. Using pre-mixed elemental powders, the in-situ alloying approach enables precise control over composition and microstructure during fabrication. Systematic investigations into process parameters reveal their influence on densification, phase formation, and mechanical performance. The resulting Ti–Mo–Zr alloys exhibit refined microstructures and enhanced mechanical properties, with Mo and Zr contributing to solid solution strengthening and overall performance. Preliminary bioactivity assessments suggest potential for enhanced osseointegration, supporting the clinical relevance of this alloy system. By integrating material design with process optimization, this work demonstrates the feasibility of producing Ti–Mo–Zr alloys tailored for biomedical use. The findings contribute to the development of safe, effective, and customizable implant materials, offering a pathway for innovative solutions in orthopedic and dental applications.

169 - Microstructure and Mechanical Property Evolution of Additively Manufactured CoCrNi Medium-Entropy Alloy Composites Under Wide-Ranging In-Situ Nano-TiC Precipitation 
Jun Ma, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research

We fabricated CoCrNi–TiC composites using a novel approach: in-situ precipitation of nano-TiC during the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of blended powders consisting of C particles, Ti powders, and pre-alloyed equiatomic CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy (MEA) powders. This method effectively eliminated particle agglomeration even at TiC contents as high as 5 wt%. In contrast, when nano-TiC was directly added to CoCrNi powders—a conventional fabrication route—agglomeration occurred at TiC contents as low as 2 wt%.Leveraging this new method, we systematically investigated, for the first time, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of composites containing 1–6 wt% nano-TiC. Compared with conventional approaches, the new process not only significantly enhanced the mechanical performance but also yielded properties superior to most additively manufactured metal matrix composites reported to date, with the advantage becoming more pronounced as the TiC content increased.The incorporation of TiC generally refined the grain size and weakened the texture along the building direction (BD), although an anomalous grain coarsening was observed at 1 wt% TiC, the mechanism of which is discussed. As the TiC content increased, the strain-hardening rate first rose and then declined, a trend attributed to the progressive suppression of deformation-induced twinning during plastic deformation. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the complex interplay between nano-TiC content, microstructure, and the resulting mechanical properties of CoCrNi composites.

036 - Design for Additive Manufacturing Based on Voronoi Tessellation and Machine Learning: Random and Symmetric Cellular-Structured Heat Sink Design
Asuka Suzuki

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of complex-shaped metallic parts, including lattice and cellular structures. The lattice and cellular structures impart high and multi-functionalities. Design for AM (DfAM), which is a design methodology considering high manufacturability and/or limitations of AM processes, is attracting significant attention. Recently, we have developed DfAM methodology based on the Voronoi tessellation and machine learning. The Voronoi tessellation can generate cellular structures by arranging seed points in three-dimensional space, drawing perpendicular bisecting planes, and replacing the plane edges with solid struts. The machine learning surrogate model can rapidly predict the performance of the cellular structures and is inversely analyzed by an optimization algorithm, including a genetic algorithm. Random cellular-structured heat sinks with enhanced heat transfer and suppressed pressure loss can be successfully obtained using this framework. However, since there have been no constraints on the arrangement of seed points, the probability of selecting structures with regularity or symmetry is extremely low. This suggests that better geometries may exist within the search space that contains structures exhibiting regularity and symmetry. In this study, we limited the seed point arrangements to symmetric ones to design symmetric cellular structures and investigated the performance of the symmetric cellular structures. Feature engineering was carried out to extract important structural features to accurately predict the performance of the symmetric geometries. 

064 - Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Osteogenic-Stimulating Inverted U-Type Ti6Al4V Structures: Influence of Inclination Angle and Build Orientation
Juliana Dias, Universidade do Minho

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized orthopaedic implant development by enabling the creation of porous, patient-specific structures that enhance bone-implant integration. However, despite continuous advances, over 10% of orthopaedic implants still fail due to poor osteointegration and bone resorption. As younger and more active patients increasingly require joint replacements, developing durable, infection-resistant implants capable of lifelong fixation has become critical.

This work presents the design and manufacturing feasibility of an innovative inverted U-type surface structure aimed at improving implant fixation and minimizing fracture-prone regions. This study explores this structure fabrication in Ti6Al4V by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF).

The inverted U structures were manufactured with inclination angles from 30° to 90° in 15° increments, allowing a systematic assessment of overhanging effects, wall inclination, and build orientation on component quality. Comprehensive analyses of surface morphology and dimensional accuracy were conducted for both upward and downward surfaces to identify the critical angles affecting manufacturability.

Results highlight the influence of inclination and build direction on surface finish and dimensional precision, providing essential insights for optimizing complex implant surface structures. These findings contribute to defining key design and process parameters for reliably producing osteogenic-stimulating geometries through LPBF, advancing the development of next-generation orthopaedic implants.

184- Feasibility of Lithography-Based Metal Manufacturing for Internal Mini-Channels for Fluid Applications
Erika Tuneskog, Chalmers Tekniska Hogskol

There is a gap in metal manufacturing methods for producing complex internal channels smaller than 1000 µm in diameter for fluid applications such as heat exchangers and fuel injectors. Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques such as Powder Bed Fusion – Laser Beam (PBF-LB), Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), and Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM) offer potential solutions, but PBF-LB and MBJ often cannot achieve channels below 1000 µm in dimension with surface roughness below Sa 10 µm. LMM can produce external features with 5 µm resolution, making it relevant for internal channels. This study evaluates its feasibility for fluid applications by examining dimensional accuracy and internal surface quality. A test matrix of straight channels with diameters (D) of 200–1000 µm and lengths between 1D and 20D was manufactured in stainless steel 316L. Methods were developed to clean channels without damaging components or causing blistering. Recommended sintering parameters were used to achieve full density, shape stability and mechanical properties. The printed channels were examined using optical microscopy to verify feedstock removal, detect defects, measure dimensional changes, surface roughness, and circularity in both the green and sintered states. Results show that channels with lengths of up to 10D can be successfully cleaned without damaging components. The manufactured channels exhibit high circularity, and the internal surface roughness was measured below 5 µm. Overall, LMM is a promising manufacturing method for fluid applications requiring precise channel dimensions and internal surface finish.

272- Characterization of Tungsten Cantilever Creep
Robert Kinner, Elmet Technologies LLC

Cantilever creep is a deformation occurring in response to stresses on an unsupported beam. Diffusion-controlled creep occurs both along grain boundaries (Coble) and within the lattice (Nabarro-Herring) in Tungsten at high temperatures. This work shows a simple method for fast screening, characterizing and predicting cantilever creep. These methods are utilized to explore the effects of high temperature creep on different alloying and processing techniques. Results show creep influenced by both external and internal constraints.

270- EBSD Characterization of Potassium Doped and Potassium Doped Tungsten With 3% Rhenium Addition During Wire Drawing
Jeremy Beasley, Elmet Technologies LLC

Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) was used to investigate the crystallographic texture, as well as the microstructure, evolution in drawn potassium doped (Wk) and potassium doped with 3% rhenium addition (Wk3Re) wire.  Wk and Wk3Re rods and wire that were manufactured with a similar amount of logarithmic strain (ε) throughout the swaging and drawing process were characterized and compared.

037- Fabrication and Characterization of Oxide Nanoparticles Dispersion-Strengthened Tungsten Alloys
Fei Lin, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research

Traditional fossil fuels are finite and polluting, renewables are intermittent and relatively low-yield, and fission carries safety and resource constraints, making controlled thermonuclear fusion the most promising long-term clean energy source. Tungsten is an attractive plasma-facing material (PFM) for fusion reactors owing to its high melting point and thermal conductivity, low tritium retention and sputtering yield. However, pure W suffers from processing difficulty, high ductile–brittle transition temperature, recrystallization brittleness and irradiation embrittlement under fusion neutrons. To extend the service life, W-based materials must be engineered through alloying, second-phase dispersion and other design strategies, coupled with advanced processing that enhance performance in the extreme fusion environment. In this work, W-Ti-Y2O3 alloys with an ultrafine-grained structure and superior mechanical properties were fabricated via a powder metallurgy route (high-energy ball milling followed by spark plasma sintering). It should be noted that the as-fabricated W-Ti-Y2O3 alloys obtains a high hardness of ~ 730 HV, a compression strength of ~ 2.3 GPa and a fracture strain of 6.5 % at ambient temperature, presenting superior comprehensive mechanical properties. The effects of Ti and Y2O3 nanoparticles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of W-Ti-Y2O3 alloys are systematically investigated. Our study provides theoretical references for the design of novel oxides dispersion-strengthened W alloys with excellent comprehensive properties.