Work

Factors Influencing Sustainability in Powder Metallurgy: A Systematic Literature Review

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: The increasing demand for sustainable industrial practices has intensified the search for manufacturing processes that minimize environmental impacts without compromising technical performance or economic viability. In this context, powder metallurgy has emerged as a promising alternative in mechanical manufacturing due to its potential for raw material reuse, waste reduction, lower energy consumption, and near-net-shape production. However, despite the growing body of research on this topic, there is still a lack of a comprehensive and integrated framework that systematically organizes and correlates the factors influencing sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions, which limits a holistic understanding of the process. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and classify the main factors affecting sustainability in powder metallurgy. A Systematic Literature Review was conducted following the PRISMA method, using the Scopus, Web of Science and Wiley databases. The initial search identified 1753 articles, of which 56 were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis considers the three pillars of sustainability and examines how variables related to raw materials, energy consumption, processing technologies, waste reuse, product performance, and operational conditions influence process sustainability. The results enable the identification of the most recurrent factors in the literature and support the development of a structured theoretical framework, contributing to a more integrated understanding of sustainability in powder metallurgy.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su18105065