TS EN ISO 3252

TS EN ISO 3252 is a vocabulary standard for powder metallurgy. It brings together the terms and definitions used in the field, covering the manufacture of metallic powders and the production of articles from those powders, with or without added non-metallic powders, through forming and sintering processes.

What powder metallurgy covers in technical terms

Powder metallurgy is a manufacturing route that works from powders rather than from fully molten metal. In general technical context, powder characteristics such as particle size, shape, flowability and compressibility strongly influence how well powders can be blended, compacted and sintered. The discipline is widely used where controlled material composition, efficient material usage and near-net-shape production are important.

This standard is about terminology, not about prescribing a production recipe or a specific test method. Its role is to define how key concepts are named and understood, so that terms such as density, porosity, green part, sintered part and alloyed powder are used consistently across technical documents and industry communication. That consistency matters in design, manufacturing, quality control and specification writing.

The scope includes both the production of metallic powders and articles made from those powders, optionally combined with non-metallic powders. In other words, it standardises the language of powder metallurgy rather than the technology itself, helping users distinguish the main stages and product forms within the field.

• Provides a common vocabulary for powders and powder-made products.
• Links the core process concepts of forming and sintering.
• Helps distinguish powder properties, intermediate forms and finished parts.
• Supports clearer technical communication across powder metallurgy applications.