Definition
A solid metal part formed by compressing fine metal powder into a mold under high pressure and then heating it below its melting point until the particles bond together. The resulting material is typically porous, allowing it to hold lubricant or filter fluids, and is used in aviation components such as oil-impregnated bearings, brake pads, and fluid filters.
Plain English
A piece of metal made by squeezing metal powder into a shape and baking it until the grains stick together, without ever fully melting the metal. The finished part often has tiny gaps inside it, which can be useful for soaking up oil or letting fluid pass through.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance when describing filter elements, bearings, bushings, and other parts made from pressed metal powder.
Derivation
From the German 'sintern,' meaning to form a hard mass by heat without melting. The word originally referred to mineral deposits formed by slow build-up. In metalwork it captures the same idea: particles fusing into a solid through heat and pressure rather than a full melt.
Why Pilots Care
Sintered metal brake linings provide reliable high-temperature friction and wear resistance, directly affecting aircraft stopping performance and safety margins.
Analogy
Similar to pressing and heating coffee grounds into a solid puck without melting them into liquid.
Intuition Check
Sintered metal does not mean ordinary solid metal that was simply machined into shape. It means metal powder was pressed and heated until the particles bonded together.
Example Sentence 1
The wheel bearings on this trainer use sintered metal that is impregnated with oil, so they should not be cleaned in solvent.
Example Sentence 2
Sintered metal components in the brake assembly withstand repeated heat cycles better than organic friction materials.