Fabrication condition of FeAl by reactive sintering and squeeze casting processes

Abstract

The suitable fabrication condition for the two types of reaction synthesis processes of FeAl were investigated. In the reactive sintering of pre-mixed elemental powders, homogination and densification above 99% of the relative density were achieved by vacuum hot pressing at 1273–1500 K with 20 MPa of applied pressure. The isothermal holding at the temperatures above 1273 K is necessary to remove pores generated during exothermic reaction at 933 K in this hot pressing condition. The another process studied in this work is the squeeze casting of aluminum melt into porous iron sintered bodies (SQ method). The homogeneous aluminides were not formed by in-situ reaction in the SQ method, however, dense and uniform FeAl was obtain by the combination of SQ method and post hot pressing (pseudo-isostatic pressure) treatment.