1968 Volume 54 Issue 4 Pages 410-415
Fe-Cu and Fe-Ni compacts were prepared from the mixtures of reduced iron, electrolytic copper and carbonyl nickel powders. These compacts were sintered and gas-carburized. The effects of sintering time and carburizing time on the carburizing behavior were examined.
Further, gas-carburized specimens were oil-quenched. Microstructures, toughness and hardness of quenched specimens were also examined.
The results obtained are as follows:
(1) The sintering time of sintered Fe-Cu has minor effect on the carburized depth as compared with that of sintered Fe-Ni.
(2) Short carburizing time is suitable for sintered Fe-Cu because of porous structure.
(3) By oil-quenching of carburized specimens, more developed and uniform hardened-case can be obtained with Cu addition than with Ni addition because diffusion of Cu into Fe is faster than that of Ni.
(4) Owing to the porous structure of sintered Fe-Cu, hardness of hardened-case is lowered slightly, and toughness of quenched specimen decreases remarkably above 3% Cu.