EFFECTS OF CONSOLIDATION PARAMETERS ON PROPERTIES OF SINTERED HIGH-SPEED STEELS

A range of high speed steel powders were cold pressed and sintered under vacuum and gaseous atmospheres. The main objective was to evaluate the potential applications of these materials for wear resistant components. Dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and microstructural development as a result of varying experimental conditions were investigated. It was found that adequate dimensional stability could be achieved after sintering at temperatures up to 1200°C, and improvement in mechanical properties was obtained as the sintering temperature and sintering time were raised. However, above 1220°C the formation of excessive liquid phase led to the development of undesirable grain boundary carbide networks, resulting in a rapid drop in bend strengths. It was also observed that the mechanical properties of the porous compacts could be substantially improved by infiltration with copper. PM/0514. © 1990 Maney Publishing.