Manufacturing of Fine Spherical Iron Powder and the Influence of the Powder Morphology on the Sintering Behaviour

摘要

Fine spherical iron powders are used for the manufacturing of diamond tools, magnetorheological fluids, materials absorbing microwaves but mostly for metal injection molding (MIM). Powder with a spherical morphology and small particle size can be produced under special atomizing conditions or by the carbonyl process. Because of the expense production routes the powder costs range from 7 to 10 €/kg which is limiting fact for many applications.rnAn alternative cost efficient powder production technology was developed based on the hydrogen reduction of a spray dried hematite powder. The enclosed powder processing plays a key role for obtaining spherical particles < 20 μm with a high sinter activity. The results of different powder processing technologies and their influence to the powder properties will be discussed.