The Fractal Analysis as a Measure of the Sintering Degree of PM Materials

摘要

It is well known that the mechanical properties of P/M components depend on the material' sintering degree. As dimension and shape of the pores continuously change during a sintering process, specific measurements on porosity are useful to characterize the sintering degree. A test method has been developed to measure the shape of the pores using a fractal technique. The measurements have been carried out on samples from two different diffusion-bonded powders, compacted at 7.0 g/cm~3 and sintered in industrial equipment at 1120℃, for 30 minutes, once, twice and four times. The results have been compared with those obtained from the method of pores roundness analysis. The proposed technique, based on fractal analysis, seems to be a valid instrument to evaluate quantitatively the sintering degree of PM materials.