Utilization of Powder Microstructure to Strengthening of Fe-Cu Alloy From Rapidly Solidified Powder

Abstract

The strengthening mechanism of Fe-Cu alloy from rapidly solidified powder was investigated. The powder microstructure was changed by annealing. The as-atomized and annealed powders were consolidated by groove rolling at a warm temperature in order to avoid recrystallization and to maintain the powder microstructure. Copper was precipitated in the ferrite matrix and at the primary powder boundaries in all of the consolidated samples; the precipitation was coarser in the samples from the annealed powders. The results of the tensile testing showed strengthening occurred by the addition of copper in all the samples; the magnitude of the strengthening was larger in the samples from the as-atomized powder. The minute and uniform copper distribution in the samples from the as-atomized powder resulted in a greater strengthening effect.