Improvement of material properties by applying hot isostatic pressing

Hot isostatic compression (HIP) involves the simultaneous application of pressure and elevated temperature to materials. The pressure applied, usually by a gas, is isostatic because it's developed in a suitable pressurized vessel by a fluid. Under these conditions of heat and pressure, internal pores or defects within a solid body or a powder compact collapse and weld up. Encapsulated powder and sintered components densify easily and faster than due to sintering alone. Therefore HIP is today used for a lot of applications, like upgrading castings (removing shrinkage pores in interdendritic space), densifying pre-sintered components, consolidation of powders and interfacial bonding. The work is dedicated to students and engineers involved in studying and synthesis of advanced materials based on HIPing technologies.

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The author is full professor at Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania - Department of Materials Science. His main teaching and research activities are based on Hot Plastic Deformation of Metals & Alloys; Isostatic Processing of Metallic and Ceramic Materials.