Abstract
Sintering behavior of Fe-Cu compacts prepared with plated powder was studied by means of dilatometer and electron probe micro analyser. The copper growth phenomenon was markedly decreased during sintering the compacts of plated powder, compared with the case of mixed powder. The decreased copper growth in the compacts of plated powder can be attributed to the following reasons: (1) accelerated sintering in solid state in the temperature ranges of alpha and also gamma of iron, (2) contraction by the rearrangement of iron particles at the melting point of copper, and (3) suppression of expansion due to decreased pene-tration of liquid copper between iron particles, and also diminished grain boundary diffusion of copper and decreased liberation of hydrogen gas accompanied with the Cu penetration above the melting point of copper.
