THEORY, PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, AND PROPERTIES OF POWDERS AND FIBERS

PROPERTIES OF FERROMOLYBDENUM POWDERS

M. G. A n d r e a s y a n UDC 621.762.2

In an e a r l i e r p a p e r [1], a d e s c r i p t i o n was given of a p r o c e s s f o r the production of f e r r o m o l y b d e n u m

powder by the d i r e c t reduction of a complex oxide. The w o r k d e s c r i b e d below was undertaken with the a i m
of studying the p r o c e s s i n g c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of f e r r o m o l y b d e n u m powders containing 1.3 and 6.2% Mo, and of
d e t e r m i n i n g the strength p r o p e r t i e s of sintered p a r t s obtained f r o m these powders. The homogeneity of the
powders i n v e s t i g a t e d 'was examined using an IKhA-ZA m i c r o a n a l y z e r . The r e s u l t s obtained a r e p r e s e n t e d
in Table 1. The i n t e r v a l between the p o i n t s w a s 70-100rap. The p a r t i c l e size distribution and main p r o p -
e r t i e s of the powders investigated a r e listed in Table 2. As can be seen, the principal p a r t i c l e size was
40-50 it, a value typical of reduced powders. The p a r t i c l e m i e r o h a r d n e s s was d e t e r m i n e d on a P M T - 3
t e s t e r under a load of 20 g. Figure 1 i l l u s t r a t e s p a r t i c l e s of the f e r r o m o l y b d e n u m powder at a m a g n i f i c a -
tion of 200 d i a m e t e r s . C l e a r l y , the p a r t i c l e s had a s p o n g e - l i k e s t r u c t u r e , which is also c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of
powders m a n u f a c t u r e d by reduction.
To study the p r e s s i n g b e h a v i o r of the p o w d e r s , c y l i n d r i c a l s p e c i m e n s of 1 5 - r a m d i a m e t e r and 10-g
weight w e r e c o m p a c t e d under v a r i o u s p r e s s u r e s ( f r o m 1 to 10 tons/cruZ). The s p e c i m e n p o r o s i t y was de-
t e r m i n e d by calculation, and the density of bulk alloys r e q u i r e d for this p u r p o s e was evaluated f o r the c o m -
positions under investigation by m e a n s of the rule of additivity. It w a s found that powders of both c o m p o s i -
tions exhibit s a t i s f a c t o r y c o m p a c t i b i l i t y and, under a p r e s s u r e of 1 t o n / c m 2, f o r m strong c o m p a c t s with
f i r m edges, of 49-52% r e s i d u a l p o r o s i t y . Under a p r e s s u r e of 10 t o n s / c m 2, t h e i r c o m p r e s s i b i l i t y is r e l a -
tively low (the p o r o s i t y is 15-16%). This m a y be attributed to the dendritic p a r t i c l e shape of these powders.
However, as c o n f i r m e d by e x p e r i m e n t s , a dendritic p a r t i c l e enables c o m p a c t s of s a t i s f a c t o r y strength to be
obtained under low compaction p r e s s u r e s . On the o t h e r hand, i n c r e a s i n g the Mo content of powder a d v e r s e l y
affects its p r e s s i n g b e h a v i o r . F i g u r e 2 p r e s e n t s e x p e r i m e n t a l data upon the elastic a f t e r e f f e c t a f t e r p r e s s -
ing for powders of both c o m p o s i t i o n s , which a r e r e q u i r e d in calculations of die dimensions with allowance
f o r the p o s s i b l e i n c r e a s e in size of c o m p a c t s .
The s p e c i m e n height w a s m e a s u r e d in the actual dim (under p r e s s u r e , using a l e v e r - t y p e indicator)
and a f t e r injection. The s p e c i m e n s w e r e then placed in a d e s i c c a t o r and m e a s u r e d again 6 days l a t e r .
A f t e r the 6 - d a y period, the s p e c i m e n s w e r e found
to have i n c r e a s e d in height by 0.15-0.35%. The
d i a m e t r i c elastic a f t e r e f f e c t m e a s u r e d a f t e r e j e c -
tion f o r both compositions v a r i e d , depending on
p o r o s i t y , f r o m 0.23 to 0.39%, and r e m a i n e d v i r -
tually unchanged during the subsequent 6-day
holding.
F i g u r e 3 shows volume shrinkage plotted
againt p o r o s i t y f o r s p e c i m e n s s i n t e r e d at v a r i o u s
t e m p e r a t u r e s for 3 h. C o m p a r e d with s p e c i m e n s
f r o m p u r e i r o n powder, whose shrinkage usually
does not exceed 4-5%, s p e c i m e n s f r o m f e r r o -
molybdenum powder exhibit v e r y substantial v o l -
Fig. 1. F e r r o m o l y b d e n u m powder p a r t i c l e s : a) 1.3% ume shrinkage. This m a y be a s c r i b e d to the high
Mo; b) 6.2% Mo.

E r e v a n Engineering Institute. T r a n s l a t e d f r o m P o r o s h k o v a y a Metallurgiya, No. 7 (103), pp. 1-5,

July, 1971. Original a r t i c l e submitted O c t o b e r 15, 1970.

9 1971 Consultants Bureau, a division of Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 West 17th Street, New York,
N. Y. 10011. All rights reserved. This article cannot be reproduced for any purpose whatsoever without
permission of the publisher. A copy of this article is available from the publisher for $15.00.

513
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d
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2.5

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45
m
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../ ~_-•
.J..--~. . . ,-.,-- - -~
,-~ 5,0 " "..~"~.-'" "3
o5 s tX
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0
> 10 20 30 40 ~a ~0 20 30 ~0
Porosity, % Initial porosity, %
Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Fig. 2. Effect of p o r o s i t y on v e r t i c a l elastic aftereffect:

1) 1.3% Mo; 2) 6.2% Mo.
Fig. 3. Dependence of volume shrinkage of s p e c i m e n s on
p o r o s i t y : 1-3) 1.3% Mo; 4-6) 6.2% Mo. T e m p e r a t u r e i 1,
4) 1200; 2, 5) 1100; 3, 6) 1000~

p r o p o r t i o n of fines, i . e . , the l a r g e specific s u r f a c e

/GO
of the p o w d e r s , which p r o m o t e s intense sintering.
F i g u r e 4 i l l u s t r a t e s the effect of p o r o s i t y on
t2o X~
"'-,~../' the Brinell h a r d n e s s of s p e c i m e n s sintered at 1200~
f o r 3 h. It is evident that molybdenum a p p r e c i a b l y
.~ so ~X s t r e n g t h e n s the f e r r i t i c m a t r i x , t h e r e b y i n c r e a s i n g
i t s h a r d n e s s . F o r the m a t e r i a l s with 1.3 and 6.2%
9~
m
40
5 ta /5 20 25 3O
Mo, the m i c r o h a r d n e s s of s p e c i m e n s of 10% m e a n
Porosity, % p o r o s i t y s i n t e r e d f o r 3 h at 1200~ is 124 and 198
k s / r a m 2, r e s p e c t i v e l y . F i g u r e 5 shows plots of t e n -
Fig. 4. Dependence of Brinell h a r d -
sile and bend strengths vs p o r o s i t y f o r s p e c i m e n s
n e s s of s p e c i m e n s on p o r o s i t y : 1)
of both c o m p o s i t i o n s s i n t e r e d at a t e m p e r a t u r e of
1.3% Mo; 2) 6.2% Mo.
1200~ and a holding p e r i o d of 3 h. As can be seen,
TABLE 1. Results of P o w d e r Homogeneity T e s t s r e l a t i v e l y high strength p r o p e r t i e s a r e attained in
both c a s e s . At a m e a n p o r o s i t y of i0%, the ductility
Mo content I No. of No. of test Mo content,IMo concn.
of s i n t e r e d s p e c i m e n s of both c o m p o s i t i o n s is c o m -
of powder, / particles points on pulses/30 at points,
~ Itested ~achparticle gee ~
p a r a t i v e l y high; in p a r t i c u l a r , values of elongation
of 8.3 and 11.8%, r e s p e c t i v e l y , a r e r e c o r d e d . The
1,3 800 1,23 c u r v e s in Fig. 6 i l l u s t r a t e the effect of p o r o s i t y on
820 1,25 t h e i m p a c t strength a k of s p e c i m e n s of both c o m -
840 1,27
760 1017 positions s i n t e r e d f o r 3 h at 1200~ The i m p a c t
830 1,26 s t r e n g t h v a l u e s , too, a r e evidence of the high ductility
790 1,22 of the alloys.
810 1,24
760 1,17 Such a t t r a c t i v e strength and ductility c h a r a c t e r -
790 1,22 i s t i c s m a y be a s c r i b e d both to the p r e s e n c e of m o l y b -
830 1,26 denum (with r i s e in the concentration of this e l e m e n t ,
6,2 3900 6,0 the strength c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the alloys m a r k e d l y
3920 6,05 i n c r e a s e ) and to the fact that the raw m a t e r i a l e m -
4140 6,3 ployed, concentrate f r o m the R a z d a n s k deposit, con-
4070 6,2
4060 6,19 tains in its natural state c e r t a i n e l e m e n t s (titanium,
3970 6,1 v a n a d i u m , z i r c o n i u m , etc.) which c o n s i d e r a b l y i m -
3970 6,1 p r o v e the p h y s i c o m e c h a n i c a l p r o p e r t i e s of sin-
4040 6,2 t e r e d p a r t s . On the o t h e r hand, the good strength
4000 6,12
and ductility c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s m a y also be a t t r i -
4060 6,15
buted to the high h o m o g e n e i t y of the two alloy

514
 T A B L E 2. P r i n c i p a l P r o p e r t i e s of F e r r o m o l y b d e n u m Powders
Mo lapp. [ Micro- Tap Amounts (%) of fractions, mm
content~lden* ~ Flow hardness, density', --0,160 --0,080 --0,063 --0,050
% isity' coeff, kg/mm2 g/cm s ~0,080 ~-0,063 ~-0,050 +0,040 I--U.040

1,3 1,98 3,12 124 2,6I 9,4 I 1,2 20,7 41,5 17,2
6,2 2,14 2,54 198 2,75 9,2 10,05 20,95 42,5 18,1

rio
t06
"b.% /7

9~ 80
.~ 8,0
eE .x
E
6,o \

~o
~o ,.420
fo
't
~d
~o
4,0
N 2,0

o ,b ~) 2'0 i5 30 fo 1'5 20 25 jo
PorositT, % Porosity, %
Fig. 5 Fig. 6
Fig. 5. Effect of porosity on tensile and bend strengths: 1)
1.3% Mo; 2) 6.2% Mo.
Fig. 6. Effect of porosity on impact strength: I) 1.3% Mo; 2)
6.2% Mo.

powders (Table i) and their excellent sinterability, as evidenced by their appreciable volume shrinkage
(Fig. 3).
Thus, at pressures of 1-2 tons/cm 2, the compactibility of the ferromolybdenum powder is compara-
tively high, and the porosity of parts lies in the range 45-52%; at pressures of 9-10 tons/cm 2, the com-
pressibility is satisfactory and the porosity falls to 15-16%. At a porosity of 15-30%, the vertical elastic
aftereffect of specimens of both compositions is 3.1-4.6 and 3.3-4.8%, respectively. Powders of both com-
positions exhibit excellent sinterability at a temperature of 1200~ and a holding period of 3 h (at a starting
porosity of 40%), giving volume shrinkage values of 15 and 32%, respectively. Sintered specimens from
powders of both compositions possess high strength and ductility characteristics and may be employed for
the manufacture of constructional parts intended for operation under fairly severe conditions.

LITERATURE CITED
i~ N. V. Manukyan and M. G. Andreasyan, Poroshkovaya Met., No. 3, 66 (1970).
2. I. M. Fedorchenko and R. A. Andreevskii, Principles of Powder Metallurgy [in Russian], Izd-vo AN
UkrSSR, Kiev (1963).
3. Powder Metallurgy and Metal Treatment, Transactions of a Scientific-Technical Seminar [in Russian],
NTO MAShPROM, Erevan (1965).
4. Fo Eisenkolb, Powder Metallurgy [Russian translation], Metallurgizdat, Moscow (1959).

515