This article is devoted to powder metallurgy (PM) and the peculiarities of that branch of materials science. The technological and economical advantages of PM methods compared with traditional metallurgical processes for production of metal products are discussed. The main stages of PM technology, namely the processes of powder production, shaping, and densification of the end bodies, and the effects of these operations on both human health and the environment are also discussed. In that respect, the methods of metal powder production are viewed in more detailed. There are several methods for metal powder production and features of these methods that determine the set of physical, chemical, and technological properties of the powders. That relationship is demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Toxicity and other harmful properties of certain metal powders with numerous practical applications are also discussed.

POWDER METALLURGY METHODOLOGY
Powder metallurgy (PM) is an industrial method for obtaining metal or metal-like powders, molding semifinished goods from powders, and manufacturing particles from them by a thermal process, called sinter-ing. The sintering temperature is below the melting temperature of the main component in the powder mixture. Because of the similarities between methods for ceramic (shaping – thermal treatment) and PM (molding – sintering) production, the end bodiesproduced by PM are also called metalloceramics. The term “powder metallurgy” soundsprovocative or at least suspicious on the pages of a publication when the authorwants to propagandize the achievements of a technology, the first step of whichis metal or ceramic powder production. Could a technology be connected with powderproduction and its processing in a way that is friendly to both environment andhumanity, especially when our every-day practice shows that metallurgy is a mainnatural pollutant? We want to show here the achievements of a technology thatis not only economically profitable but environmental favorable.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The first historical example for industrial applications of PM is the chiseling of high-quality platinum (Pt) coins by intaglio. The method was developed by Sobolevski and Liubarski in Russia and practiced from 1826 to 1844.1The first modern powder metallurgy product was the tungsten (W) filament of electric light bulbs, developed in the early 1900s. During this time, the production of materials and products was closely related to the achievements of the necessary technological conditions, primarily the realization of high temperatures and the reliability of the corresponding equipment and materials. Although the process has existed for more than 100 years, over the past quarter century it has become widely recognized as a superior way to produce high-quality parts for a variety of important applications. This success is due to the privileges that the PM process offers over other metal-forming technologies (such as forging and metal casting), advantages in material utilization, shape complexity, and near-net shape dimensional control. These, in turn,yied benefits of lower costs and greater production versatility.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
PM is closely connected with technologies that determine its relationship to environmental protection. Obtaining and manipulating solids in powder state is an essential feature of PM. If PM is limited to the production of metal or metal-like powders, it would be just a part of metallurgy and could not be a progressive, technologically, and economically attractive method combined with metallurgy, materials science, and metalworking. Elimination (in most cases) or at least minimization of machining of the end article leads to economic advantages. As more than 97% of the starting materials reach the finished product, powder metallurgy is a process that conserves both energy and materials. Elimination of scrap losses, which directly reflects on environmental protection, is another privilege of the PM method, providing many possibilitiesto create waste-free and environmentally friendly processes.