The sintering process of Fe-C binary mixed powder compacts and Fe-Cu-C ternary mixed powder compacts was studied mainly from the viewpoint of phase transformation and diffusion.
The results obtained were as follows:
(1) After the α→γ transformation during heating in vacuum of 10
-5mmHg for the Fe-C binary mixed powder compacts, the expansion was observed, the amount of which was nearly in proportion to the amount of additional graphite, and the expansion curve in dilatation and the combined carbon concentration curve well agreed. This means that the carburization was done mainly by the carbon diffusion through the contacting surface of graphite and iron powder rather than through the medium CH
4 or CO gas.
(2) From the vacuum measurement, it was apparent that the amount of gas discharge from the specimen with the reduced iron powder was by far larger than that from the other specimens. On the contrary, its dilatational expansion was minimum, indicating that the specimen was not swelled by the gas pressure.
(3) It was clarified from the thermal analysis that the elimination of the abnormal expansion observed during sintering process of Fe-Cu binary mixed powder compacts was carried out by the liquid phase sintering related to the ternary monotecto-eutectic reaction at 1095°C.
(4) The extremely rapid critical cooling rate of 1100°C/sec. was obtained from the Fe-1.0%C binary sintered compacts, while it became 360°C/sec. for the Fe-2.0%Cu-C ternary sintered compacts, and 140°C/sec. for the Fe-6.5%Cu-1.0%C ternary sintered compacts.
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