Chang-Young Son

Powder Injection Molding of Cu-Based Amorphous Powders and Fe-Based Metamorphic Powders

Powder injection molding (PIM) process was applied to Cu-based amorphous alloy powders and Fe-based metamorphic alloy powders, and microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of the PIM products were analyzed. When Cu-based amorphous powders were injection-molded and sintered at 470 °C, sintering was not made since most of amorphous phases were replaced by crystalline phases. When sintered at higher temperatures, volume fraction of pores inside the sintered specimens decreased, but sintering was not properly conducted. When Fe-based metamorphic powders were injection-molded and then sintered at 1200 °C, completely densified products with almost no pores were obtained. They contained 34 vol.% of (Cr, Fe)2 B borides dispersed in the austenitic matrix without amorphous phases. Since these (Cr, Fe)2 B borides were hard and thermally stable, hardness, high-temperature hardness, and wear resistance of the PIM products of Fe-based metamorphic powders were twice as high as those of conventional PIM stainless steel products. These findings suggested new applicability of the PIM products of Fe-based metamorphic powders to structures and parts requiring excellent mechanical properties.© 2008 ASME

Mechanical Properties of Cu-Based Amorphous Alloy Matrix Composites Consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering

In this study, microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-based amorphous alloy matrix composites consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) equipment were investigated. Amorphous alloy powders were mixed with 10∼40 vol.% of pure Cu powders, and were consolidated at 460°C for 1/2 minute under 300 or 700 MPa. The consolidated composites contained Cu particles homogeneously distributed in the amorphous matrix, and showed a considerable plastic strain, whereas their compressive strength was lower than that of the monolithic amorphous alloys. The compressive strength and plastic strain of the composites consolidated under 700 MPa showed 10∼20% and two times increases, respectively, over those of the composites consolidated under 300 MPa. The increase in consolidation pressure could play a role in sufficiently bonding between prior amorphous powders, in preventing micropores, and in suppressing the crystallization, thereby leading to the successful consolidation of the high-quality composites. Microfracture mechanisms were investigated by directly observing microfracture processes using an in situ loading stage. Cu particles present in the composites acted as blocking sites of crack propagation, and provided the stable crack growth. These findings suggested that the composites consolidated by the SPS presented new possibilities of application to structural materials or parts requiring excellent mechanical properties and large sizes.Copyright