Wear-Resistant P/M Parts in the As-Sintered Condition

A few P/M fabricators currently are producing alloy parts which have high hardness in the as-sintered condition. These parts are intended for applications requiring high-wear resistance in service. The chemistries of the alloys used generally are proprietary.

The objective of this paper is to describe for P/M fabricators and end users the metallurgical principles involved in designing the alloy chemistry to produce parts of this type; that is, the types and amounts of alloys are described which will suitably alter the phase transformation characteristics so that martensitic microstructures are produced during sintering. An understanding of these principles could lead to expanded usage of alloy wear-resistant P/M parts.