Glossary

Metallurgy is the branch of science and engineering that studies the properties, behavior, and processing of metals and their alloys. It involves understanding how the structure of metals—from the atomic level to the macroscopic scale—affects their performance, strength, and durability under different conditions.

The field of metallurgy can be divided into three main areas. Physical metallurgy focuses on how the internal structure of metals (such as grain size, crystal structure, and dislocations) influences their mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties. Extractive metallurgy deals with the processes used to obtain metals from their ores, including smelting, refining, and electrolysis. Mechanical or industrial metallurgy applies this knowledge to the design, manufacturing, and treatment of metal products—covering processes like casting, forging, heat treatment, and welding.

Metallurgy plays a crucial role in nearly every industry that uses metals, including automotive, aerospace, construction, energy, and manufacturing. By understanding and controlling metallurgical processes, engineers can enhance metal performance, prevent failures such as corrosion or fatigue, and develop new materials with tailored properties for specific applications.

Powder metallurgy (PM) is a manufacturing method where you make metal parts from metal powders instead of melting a bulk ingot and machining it down. In its classic form, PM means you blend a controlled powder mix, compact it in a die into a “green” (unsintered) shape, then sinter it—heating it to a temperature below the main metal’s melting point so the powder particles bond together into a solid part.

The most common production route is called press-and-sinter. The powder is pressed (often at room temperature) in a rigid die, then sintered in a controlled atmosphere furnace to develop strength and final properties; secondary steps like sizing/coining, heat treatment, machining, or impregnation may follow if tighter tolerances or special performance is required. The Metal Powder Industries Federation describes press-and-sinter as the basic conventional PM process using pressure and heat to form precision metal parts.

PM is widely used because it can produce near-net-shape parts with excellent repeatability at high volume, often with less material waste than machining. It also enables properties that are hard to get other ways—like controlled porosity (useful for self-lubricating bearings or filtration) and certain hard materials such as cemented carbides.

The tradeoffs are real: conventional press-and-sinter parts can retain some residual porosity, which can reduce ductility and fatigue strength compared to fully wrought material unless you use densification methods (e.g., hot isostatic pressing, forging after sintering, or other advanced PM routes). That’s why PM shines in applications where its shape capability + cost + repeatability beat out machining, and why critical structural parts may require higher-density PM processes.