THE PREPARATION OF CARBIDE-ENRICHED TOOL STEELS BY POWDER METALLURGY

Abstract

Two PM methods of increasing the carbide content of M2 high-speed steel have been investigated: (1) By the mechanical mixing of tool-steel powder with up to 15 wt.-% of either VC or TiC powders of two different size ranges. (2) By the production of fully prealloyed carbide-enriched powders by gas atomization.

The mixed powders were consolidated by either cold isostatic pressing or explosive compaction, and then vacuum-sintered. Fully dense specimens, however, could be obtained only by subsequent hot working. The pre alloyed powders could not be cold compacted and were densified by hot working the canned loose powders.

With the mixed powders, the carbide dispersion depended closely both on the relative sizes and amounts of the tool-steel and carbide particles and onthe total reduction during hot working. With the fully prealloyed powders a very fine uniform carbide dispersion was obtained in all samples. It was found that with proper composition control the new materials could be heat-treated in a manner similar to that applied to M2 tool steel; significant increases were thus obtained in hardness and wear-resistance. The preferred production methods would be to employ mixed powders for TiC-enriched materials and fully pre alloyed powders for VC-enriched materials.