2002/6/19 Pressing & Sintering

Effect of Sinter-Hardening on the Properties of High Temperature Sintered PM Steels

PM²TEC 2002, in Orlando, USA. Authors: Ulf Engström, John McLelland, Barbara Maroli. The development of new materials and cost-effective processes are two factors that have contributed to the strong growth of PM parts over the past decades. Sinter-hardening is one example of such development combining good manufacturing economy with the ability to achieve a unique combination of mechanical properties. By controlling the post-sintering cooling rate, the microstructure can be controlled to form the required amount of martensite to obtain the desired mechanical properties. By increasing the sintering temperature from 1120ºC (2048ºF) to 1250ºC (2282ºF) these properties can be further increased.  In this paper sinter-hardening of a number of PM materials is presented. The influence of alloying system, sintering temperature and cooling rate on both microstructure and mechanical properties will be discussed