Development of Alloyed Steel Powders for High Strength Sintered Parts

Abstract

Alloyed steel powders have been developed specifically for the production of high strength sintered parts. The alloyed steel powder designed for sinter-hardening enables the production of sintered parts with comparable strength and hardness to heat-treated materials, eliminating the need for post-sintering heat treatment. The molybdenum (Mo) hybrid alloyed steel powder results in sintered parts with enhanced fatigue strength, achieved through the formation of a fine pore structure and a reinforcement of the sintering neck through Mo concentration around the pores. On the other hand, the Ni-free alloyed steel powder achieves both high strength and excellent machinability by homogenizing the microstructure of the sintered parts. These developed alloyed steel powders have been successfully implemented as raw material powders for high strength sintered parts, leading to improved productivity and cost reduction in the production of sintered parts.