Preparation and Applications of Metal and Alloy Powders

Dear Colleagues,

Casting, forging, and machining are conventional manufacturing techniques to produce metallic components. However, energy consumption, geometry, series production, and residues are some critical issues. Powder metallurgy routes seem interesting to produce small parts and semi-complex geometries, leaving fewer residues. Recent techniques such as additive manufacturing provided some advantages including the production of complex geometries and a few numbered products. Thus, the use of metallic powders has become more highlighted than before. However, proper preparations and adequate processing conditions will lead to noteworthy applications in mold, transport, and medical industries. Powder processing can involve single-composition virgin powders, (nano)composite production, mechanical alloying or using rather recent developments such as high entropy alloys or functional materials. Post-processing and/or numerical simulations are complementary steps in order to foster the process and production. The importance of resources and sustainability issues have also led to paying attention to recycling, adding value to residues and creating closed production cycles in the field of powder processing and applications.

Powder preparations can involve different mixing techniques and recycling for additive manufacturing processes. The success of powder applications depends not only on the powder characteristics (shape, size, size distribution, structure, density, and flowability) but also on the optimization of densification or consolidation achieved through sintering or melting approaches. Microstructural characterizations, mechanical and wear analyses, etc. are essential aspects of research and development. Nevertheless, conventional compaction-sintering, powder injection molding, or even advanced techniques such as field-assisted sintering, cold/thermal spraying, cladding, selective laser sintering, filament extrusion printing, powder binder jetting, laser or electron beam melting or binder melting methodologies are welcome for this Special Issue as well, both from academic and industrial researchers. 

Prof. Dr. Manuel Vieira
Dr. Ana Rosanete Lourenço Reis
Dr. Omid Emadinia
Guest Editors

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