Advances in powder metallurgy; influence of extra-fine nickel powder on P/M steel properties.(Conference Report)

Nickel powder particle size has a direct effect on the microstructure of P/M nickel steels. As nickel diffuses relatively slowly at conventional sintering times and temperatures, nickel-rich phases persist in the as-sintered and heat-treated microstructures. Reducing the size of admixed nickel powder results in more homogeneous distribution of these nickel-rich phases, which has been found in previous work to have a significant positive effect on fatigue properties. The current work compared the properties of P/M steels admixed with: a standard grade and a new P/M grade extra-fine ...