15.05.2007 Pressing & Sintering

Sinterhardening Response of Chromium PM Steels

The sinterhardening response of PM steel is affected by the alloying system, cooling rate, density and component mass. In this paper, the sinterhardening response of a chromium PM steels is investigated when the mass and density are varied. Three different sized components at two different green densities will be sinterhardened in a production furnace for comparison. The macrohardness and microstructural transformation for each of the parts will be evaluated to characterize the response. The goal is to provide an aid for selecting the correct sinterhardening material and processing conditions for a given application.