What Is Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP)?

When we are manufacturing tungsten carbide products, we should choose the best raw material, tungsten carbide powder and binder powder, usually cobalt powder. Mix and mill them, drying, pressing, and sintering. During the sintering, we always have different choices. And in this article, we are going to talk about the hot isostatic pressing sintering.

What is Hot Isostatic Pressing?

Hot Isostatic Pressing, also known as HIP, is one of the material processing methods. During hot isostatic pressing sintering, there are high temperatures and isostatic pressure.

Gas used in hot isostatic pressing sintering

Argon gas is used in hot isostatic pressing sintering. In the sintering furnace, there are high temperatures and high pressure. Argon gas is likely to cause intense convection due to low density and coefficient of viscosity, and high coefficients of thermal expansion. Therefore, the heat transfer coefficients of hot isostatic pressing equipment are higher than that of the traditional furnace.

Application of hot isostatic pressing sintering

Except for manufacturing tungsten carbide products, there are other applications of hot isostatic pressing sintering.

1. Pressure sintering of power.

Eg. Ti alloys are made by hot isostatic pressing sintering to make a part of aircraft.

2. Diffusion bonding of different types of materials.

Eg. Nuclear fuel assemblies are made by hot isostatic pressing sintering to be used in nuclear reactors.

3. Removal of residual pores in sintered items.

Eg. Tungsten carbide and other materials, such as Al203, are made by hot isostatic pressing sintering to gain high properties, like high hardness.

4. Removal of inner defects of castings.

Al and superalloys are made by hot isostatic pressing sintering to remove the inner defects.

5. Rejuvenation of parts damaged by fatigue or creep.

6. High-pressure impregnated carbonization methods.

Different materials to manufacture in hot isostatic pressing

Since hot isostatic pressing sintering has so many applications, it can be used to manufacture kinds of materials. Different materials have different physical and chemical characteristics, so they have different requirements for sintering conditions. We have to change the temperature and pressure of different materials. For example, Al2O3 requires 1,350 to 1,450°C and 100MPa, and Cu alloy asks for 500 to 900°C and 100MPa.

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