Abstract
The effects of silane treatment on the sintering behavior of injection molded Fe and Fe-Si powder compacts were investigated. This treatment was done in such a manner as to coat the surface of a powder particle with the silane coupling agent, or to add it directly to the organic binder in the injection molding process. The results obtained were as follows:
It was shown that the densification of injection molded Fe and Fe-Si compacts during sintering was markedly accelerated by the silane treatment. In the sintering of injection molded Fe-Si compacts, an activating effect of the silane treatment was observed mainly in the temperature range between 1100-1180°C, where no liquid phases appeared.
As another effect, it was also shown that linear shrinkage of silane treated powder compacts during sintering occurred more isotropically than that of nontreated. The optimum quantity of the silane agent in the injection molding process of Fe and Fe-Si was about 0.2 wt%.
