ʻO nā ʻāpana hana hoʻoheheʻe ʻia i ka pauka he mau ʻāpana hana i hana ʻia e ka ʻenehana pauka me ka pauka hao a i ʻole ka pauka kila kila ma ke ʻano he kumu kumu.ʻO nā koi no kēia ʻano ʻāpana e loaʻa i nā waiwai mechanical maikaʻi maikaʻi, ke kūpaʻa aahu, ka hana mīkini maikaʻi, a i kekahi manawa ka wela a me ka pale ʻana i ka corrosion.Hoʻohana nui ʻia nā ʻāpana iron-based powder metallurgy i nā ʻano like ʻole o ka hoʻokele waiwai aupuni.ʻOi loa i ka ʻoihana kaʻa, 60% a 70% o nā ʻāpana i hoʻokumu ʻia i ka hao i loko o nā ʻāina i kūkulu ʻia e hoʻohana ʻia i nā kaʻa, e like me nā camshafts, nā noho valve exhaust, impellers wai a me nā mea hana like ʻole.

ʻO nā hiʻohiʻona o ka pauka metallurgy iron-based structural parts: (1) ʻO nā ʻāpana he kiʻekiʻe kiʻekiʻe ka pololei, hiki ke emi a me ka ʻoki ʻole;(2) Porosity.Ke hoʻohālikelike ʻia me nā metala paʻa, ua puʻunaue like ʻia nā pores i ka pauka i hoʻokumu ʻia i ka pauka.Hiki i nā pores i hoʻokaʻawale like ʻia ke hoʻopau i ka aila lubricating e hoʻomaikaʻi ai i nā waiwai anti-friction o ka mea, a ʻo nā pores spherical like ʻole e hoʻopili pū i ke kūpaʻa luhi o nā ʻāpana ma lalo o ke kūlana o nā hopena he nui me ka ikaika liʻiliʻi.Eia nō naʻe, hiki i nā pores ke hōʻemi i nā waiwai mechanical o ka mea e like me ka ikaika tensile, elongation ma hope o ka haʻihaʻi ʻana, a me ka paʻakikī o ka hopena, a pili i ke kūpaʻa corrosion o ka mea, conductivity thermal, conductivity uila, a me ka permeability magnetic.Eia nō naʻe, e like me nā koi noi, hiki ke hoʻomalu ʻia ka nui o ka pore a me ka hāʻawi ʻana i ka pore ma ka hoʻoponopono ʻana i ka haku mele, ka nui a me ke kaʻina hana.Eia naʻe, ʻoi aku ka liʻiliʻi o ka nui o ka pore, ʻoi aku ka kiʻekiʻe o ke kumukūʻai hana.(3) ʻAʻole hoʻokaʻawale ʻia nā mea hoʻohuihui a me nā hua aniani maikaʻi a kūlike.Hoʻomaopopo ʻia nā mea hoʻoheheʻe i loko o nā mea hoʻolālā i hoʻokumu ʻia i ka hao ma ka hoʻohui ʻana i nā pauka element alloying a me ka hui ʻana iā lākou.Me ka ʻole o ka hoʻoheheʻe ʻana, ʻaʻole pili ka helu a me nā ʻano o nā mea hoʻohui i hoʻohui ʻia e nā palena solubility a me ka hoʻokaʻawale ʻana, a hiki ke hoʻomākaukau ʻia nā mea hoʻokaʻawale ʻole a me nā pseudo-alloys.Hoʻopilikia nā pores i ka ulu ʻana o nā kīʻaha, no laila ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o nā hua o nā mea hana hao.