An Alternative to Obtaining Ferritic Stainless Steel P/M Parts with Exceptional Magnetic Properties and Corrosion Resistance

An alternative process or material that exhibited excellent magnetic properties and corrosion resistance after submersion in a 5% salt solution for 1000 hours was introduced. Additional work has indicated this material can be an alternative to prealloyed ferritic stainless steels. Although prealloyed ferritic stainless steels exhibit magnetic properties comparable to wrought alloys, corrosion resistance has been less than desirable. Most prealloyed stainless steels do not sustain 100 hours in a 5% salt solution.

This paper describes a mixture of elemental iron powder with 10 micron chromium powder to formulate an alloy of 430 composition upon sintering. Conditions for compacting the elemental mixture are compared with prealloyed 434L powder. Green properties, magnetic properties, and corrosion resistance related to compaction pressure, with an interpretation of results, are provided.