EUROPEAN CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION ON ADVANCED MATERIALS AND PROCESSES - EUROMAT 2021

Powder metallurgy (PM) is a reliable processing method that includes mixing and blending different powders, followed by compaction and sintering under controlled conditions. During the sintering process of powder compacts, non-uniform shrinkage occurs due to density variation, inclusions, and other heterogeneous factors, resulting in distortion, shrinkage, and cracks in the compact. The proposed research focuses on the sintering process phenomenological model development that correlates the sintered final density evolution with the temperature and compacting pressure of the green body's deformation. Dilatometric studies were performed on the iron-based compacted powder mixture using different heating rates, temperatures, and holding time. The experimental shrinkage curve is transformed into the densification curve, including temperature and sintering time effect. The sintering data obtained using different heating rates from the Master Sintering Curve (MSC). Final density measurements via the Archimedes method proved the validity of the numerically obtained MSC. The finite element method is used to implement the sintering simulation in Deform 2D/3D using the MSC curve data to create a subroutine. The output is the final sintered density and density distribution in the sample. The proposed study results could help predict optimum PM conditions for producing denser parts to reduce the overall weight. Microstructural examination of the phase formation and bonding connection between powder particles (called bridges) is also included.