A PRE-ALLOYED IRON- BASED POWDER AN IRON-BASED POWDER MIXTURE CONTAINING THE PRE-ALLOYED IRON-BASED POWDER AND A METHOD FOR MAKING PRESSED AND SINTERED COMPONENTS FROM THE IRON-BASED POWDER MIXTURE

摘要

The present invention provides low-cost, pre-alloyed iron-based powders with high compressibility that enable the pressed and sintered components to be of high green density (GD) and high sintered density (SD). It is also possible to produce components, in particular gears, including compression of a powder mixture comprising alloying iron-based powders, sintering of compressed components, low pressure carburization (LPC), high pressure gas quenching (HPGQ) Is provided. In one embodiment, the process comprises high temperature sintering. Other aspects of the present invention include, for example, components made by a new process from powder mixtures and powder mixtures comprising alloying iron-based powders. These carburized components represent a hard surface combined with a softer and tougher core, for example, essential features for automotive gears subjected to harsh environments.