Effect of sintering parameters (time and temperature) upon the fabrication process of organic binder-based metallic hollow sphere

Metallic hollow spheres (MHSs) are developed to be used in structural applications in syntactic and metal foams. These foams are lightweight and energy-absorbing structures which also can be used for acoustic insulation. In this study, the fabrication process of MHSs with optimum mechanical properties has been investigated. To achieve this goal, polystyrene spheres were coated with iron powder and an organic binder. During the multi-stage heat treatment, the green spheres were sintered into MHSs. Sintering was done at various temperatures (1125, 1150, 1175 and 1200°C) at different durations (3:30, 4:30 and 5:30?h). The influence of the different sintering durations and temperatures on mechanical features, microstructure and density was studied as well. The obtained results indicate that samples that were sintered at the temperature of 1175°C for 4:30?h resulted in superior mechanical and physical properties.