Powder metallurgy for automotive applications in the overall context of materials research and market forces - Professor Randall German, San Diego State University, USA

Light metals (magnesium, aluminum, titanium, and various composites) have been the target of much recent powder metallurgy effort. In recent projects for the US automotive industry, research has examined lower-cost, blended-elemental and prealloyed powder approaches in the context of traditional powder metallurgy. Sintered materials have reached 99% density and these results have allowed testing for both properties and corresponding processing costs.

In this context, an analysis is provided on the cost-benefit ratio in terms of delivering lightweight metals with competitive properties. Value of these new automotive materials is measured in the context of fuel costs, processing costs, raw material costs, and specific properties, such as hardness, strength, and fatigue resistance. The balance between cost, availability, and performance determines automotive market acceptance. A forecast on time and barriers will be presented with respect to the established benchmarks of ferrous powder metallurgy.