Precipitation hardening powder metal composition

A powder metal composition providing a powder metal material to be compacted, sintered, and heat treated to be comparable to wrought 6013 aluminum alloy, the powder metal composition comprising:

• an aluminum base powder metal;
• an aluminum-silicon powder metal;
• an aluminum-copper powder metal;
• and
• an elemental magnesium powder metal;
• wherein a weight percent of silicon in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.6 to 1.0 wt % of the powder metal composition, a weight percent of copper in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.7 to 1.1 wt % of the powder metal composition, and a weight percent of magnesium in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.8 to 1.2 wt % of the powder metal composition;
• the powder metal composition further comprising a ceramic powder addition to provide a metal matrix composite upon sintering, wherein the ceramic powder addition is less than 15 volume percent of the powder metal, wherein the weight of the ceramic powder addition is not taken into account in calculating the weight percentages of the alloying elements, and wherein the ceramic powder addition is an aluminum nitride having a specific surface area of less than or equal to 2.0 m2/g and has a particle size distribution of D 10% of between 0.4 and 1.4 μm, D 50% of between 6 and 10 μm, and D 90% of between 17 and 35 μm.

A powder metal composition providing a powder metal material to be compacted, sintered, and heat treated to be comparable to wrought 6013 aluminum alloy, the powder metal composition comprising:

• an aluminum base powder metal;
• an aluminum-silicon powder metal;
• an aluminum-copper powder metal;
• and
• an elemental magnesium powder metal;
• wherein a weight percent of silicon in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.6 to 1.0 wt % of the powder metal composition, a weight percent of copper in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.7 to 1.1 wt % of the powder metal composition, and a weight percent of magnesium in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.8 to 1.2 wt % of the powder metal composition;
• the powder metal composition further comprising a ceramic powder addition to provide a metal matrix composite upon sintering, wherein the ceramic powder addition is less than 15 volume percent of the powder metal, wherein the weight of the ceramic powder addition is not taken into account in calculating the weight percentages of the alloying elements, and wherein the ceramic powder addition is an aluminum nitride having a specific surface of between 1.8 and 3.8 m2/g and has a particle size distribution of D 10% of between 0.2 and 0.6 μm, D 50% of between 1 and 3 μm, and D 90% of between 5 and 10 μm.

A powder metal composition providing a powder metal material to be compacted, sintered, and heat treated to be comparable to wrought 6013 aluminum alloy, the powder metal composition comprising:

• an aluminum base powder metal;
• an aluminum-silicon powder metal;
• an aluminum-copper powder metal;
• and
• an elemental magnesium powder metal;
• wherein a weight percent of silicon in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.6 to 1.0 wt % of the powder metal composition, a weight percent of copper in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.7 to 1.1 wt % of the powder metal composition, and a weight percent of magnesium in the powder metal composition is in a range of 0.8 to 1.2 wt % of the powder metal composition;
• the powder metal composition further comprising a ceramic powder addition to provide a metal matrix composite upon sintering, wherein the ceramic powder addition is less than 15 volume percent of the powder metal, wherein the ceramic powder addition is silicon carbide, wherein the silicon carbide is a β-silicon carbide and is in a range of 2 volume percent to 10 volume percent of the powder metal, and wherein the weight of the ceramic powder addition is not taken into account in calculating the weight percentages of the alloying elements.