Asa Ahlin

High performance mixes with new lubricant system

Abstract Increasing density is one approach to improve the performance of PM components. Lower lubricant contents are often required to increase the compressibility of a mix, and heating of the tool die can help to achieve sufficient lubrication with less lubricant. Chromium prealloyed powders are also a cost effective means of achieving high mechanical strength. However, solution hardening effects mean that prealloyed mixes have lower compressibilities than those based on pure iron powders, making Cr alloyed powder more demanding to compact and requiring more efficient lubricants. The performance of an efficient lubricant system developed for demanding applications is compared with that of amide wax in mixes based on chromium alloyed powders, including for compaction of multi-level components under production conditions.

Lubricating the introduction of cheaper alloys

New lubricants are among the tools being deployed by the powder metallurgy industry to increase compressibility by, paradoxically, using less of them. Allied to cheaper alloying elements they could make an important contribution to the economic equation…