Partners Wanted to Help with Test Method Development for Hard Materials made by Powder Processing Routes

Innovative test methods for measuring the key properties of hard powder route materials are being developed in a new three year project recently embarked upon by the National Physical Laboratory supported by the DTI’s National Measurement Strategy. With the PowdermatriX roadmaps in mind, the project aims to improve the ability of powder route materials to compete with other technologies by developing techniques to demonstrate in-process control and in-service performance.

Specific objectives of the programme include:

• Fatigue test methodologies at room and elevated temperatures for miniaturized samples; the use of samples prepared direct from production components being a particular goal of these tests;
• Improved methods for toughness and hardness measurement;
• Wear and corrosion-wear property characterization of hardmetals and ceramics.

These attributes will then be correlated with microstructure through:

• Improved hardness mapping at the micrometre scale;
• Grain size, crystallography and strain mapping at the sub-micrometre scale;
• Electrical property characterization and mapping of PM steels and hardmetals.

The project is already working with some industrial partners in the ceramic, ferrous structural parts and hardmetal sectors, but is keen to engage with new partners who are interested in participating in the development of the test methods. By contributing test materials for verification of the techniques developed and through participation at six monthly Industrial Advisory Group Meetings to discuss results, companies will obtain immediate access to project results and data on their own materials. If you are interested then please contact Ken Mingard or Andrew Gant at the National Physical Laboratory:
Ken.Mingard@npl.co.uk, 020 8943 6558; Andrew.Gant@npl.co.uk, 020 8943 6802.