Isostatic Pressing Applications
Isostatic pressing is a method for densification of powdered or cast materials using either a high liquid pressure or a high gas pressure at a simultaneous high temperature. The resulting parts have excellent isotropic material properties and show the highest possible density of all available compaction methods. Castings are completely free from porosity of after Hot Isostatic Pressing and material properties of HIPped castings compare well with those of wrought materials.
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) Applications
HIP almost always yields a 100% density and the highest material properties when comparing with other methods of powder consolidation. HIPped P/M materials are isotropic and compare well with wrought materials. The process takes place well below the melting point of the material typically resulting in a very fine grained structure.
The powdered material to be consolidated is filled into a shaped welded metal container having a scaled-up shape of the near net shape (NNS) part or billet to be produced. The powder filled container is processed in a HIP vessel under simultaneous high gas pressure (100-300 MPa) and temperature (500-3000o C). Solid/solid, powder/solid or powder/powder composite products can easily be produced with perfect bonds between the layers. HIPped high integrity NNS components represent a huge material saving potential and great savings in lead time compared with wrought components.
HIP is also used for the elimination of porosity in castings and sintered components. By exposing the cast or sintered material to high gas pressure and temperature the pores collapse and the walls of the former porous surfaces diffusion bond resulting in a completely homogenous pore free material with excellent material, especially fatigue, properties.
Products that are typically HIPped include:
- High quality titanium, super alloy, aluminum and steel castings
- Large P/M stainless steel NNS components typically for off-shore applications
- P/M high speed steel billets, big blocks or tool pre-forms
- P/M tool steel billets, big blocks or tool pre-forms
- Jet engine super alloy P/M billets or NNS components
- Stationary gas and steam turbine P/M NNS components
- Advanced P/M materials for sputtering targets
- Composite material tools
- Advanced ceramics (both from powder and pre-sintered)
- Metal matrix cemented carbides and diamond tools
- HIP clad mill rolls
- HIP clad or solid turbine or generator shafts
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Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) Applications
A powder material is filled into a flexible rubber mold having a scaled-up shape of the part (green body) to be produced. The powder is compacted in a pressure vessel under high water pressure (100-600 MPa) at ambient or elevated temperature. After pressing, the resulting isotropic powder part(s) can normally be machined to final shape before firing, sintering, hot extrusion or hot isostatic pressing to final high density. Typical applications include the compaction of:
- graphite powder pre-forms
- metal powder pre-forms
- refractory metal performs
- cemented carbide pre-forms
- refractory material performs
- advanced ceramic pre-forms
- PTFE pre-forms
- Explosives
