Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP)

Hot isostatic pressing is a manufacturing process which utilizes elevated temperature and isostatic gas pressure to eliminate porosity and increase density in metals, ceramics, polymers, and composite materials. This improves the material's mechanical properties and potentially workability. Primary applications are the elimination of microshrinkage in castings, the consolidation of powders and diffusion bonding, often referred to as cladding. Hot isostatic pressing is also used as part of a sintering (powder metallurgy) process, for pressure-assisted brazing and for fabrication of metal matrix composites.

Advantages of HIP:

• • Improved mechanical properties: Improved mechanical properties such as impact resistance, ductility, and fatigue strength as a result of internal
•    porosity elimination. Equal or better than wrought.
• • Isotropic Properties: Fine grain structure achieving part uniformity.
• • Predictability: Greater confidence and predictability of part life due to decreasing variation in mechanical properties.
• • Wear/corrosion resistance: Improved wear and corrosion resistance via the hot isostatic pressing PM route through cladding, extended alloying
•    possibilities, control of grain size and shape, and producing homogeneous microstructures.
• • Diffusion bonding: Enables diffusion bonding of similar and dissimilar materials, either in powder or solid form.
• • Reduction in welds: Components can be designed and fabricated with a reduction, or complete elimination, in the number of welds and related
•    inspections.
• • Expensive Material Reduction: By cladding, components can be formed with premium/expensive materials in critical regions only.
• • Predictability: Consistency of mechanical properties improved.
• • Mechanical properties: Increased tensile strength, impact strength, and ductility.
• • Improved surface finish: Removes internal porosity enabling smooth, pore free wear surfaces.
• • Extended service life: Fatigue life significantly increased achieving properties comparable to similar wrought alloys.