How do we make all the products: Tungsten & Molybdenum bar/sheet/wire/boat?
With powder metallurgy!
So what is powder metallurgy? It is well known that nowadays most industrial metals and alloys, such as steels, aluminum and copper, are produced by melting and casting in a mold. In contrast, powder metallurgy does away with the melting operation and the products are manufactured by compacting metal powders which are then subjected to a heat treatment (sintering) below the melting temperature of the material. The three most important factors in the field of powder metallurgy are the metal powder itself as well as the compacting and sintering operations. We are able to control and optimize all these factors in-house.
Why do we use powder metallurgy? Powder metallurgy allows us to produce materials with melting points of well over 2,000 °C. The procedure is particularly economical even when only small quantities are produced. In addition, by using tailor-made powder mixes, we can produce a range of extremely homogeneous materials endowed with specific properties.
The tungsten powder is mixed with the possible alloy elements and then filled into molds. The mixture is then compacted in the cold iso-static pressing machine. The resulting pressed part is then sintered in the furnace. During this process, the part acquires its density and its microstructure forms. The very special properties of our materials - such as their excellent thermal stability, their hardness or their flow characteristics - are due to the use of the appropriate forming methods, for example forging, rolling or drawing. Only when all mentioned steps dovetail perfectly, can we achieve our exacting quality demands and manufacture products of outstanding purity and quality.
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