Thermal Stability of the MoS2 Phase in Injection Moulded 17-4 PH Stainless Steel

In the present paper, an analysis of the stability of the MoS2 compound in 17-4 PH stainless steel matrix during the sintering of powder injection moulded samples is presented. A feedstock containing 10% vol. of the solid lubricant phase MoS2, mixed with 17-4 PH stainless steel powder was prepared and injected. The sintering was carried out at various temperatures ranging from 650°C to 1,300°C. The progress of the dissociation process of MoS2 as a function of sintering temperature and the formation of new phases were analyzed via X-ray diffraction. The microstructure of the resulting material was analyzed by SEM/EDS. As expected, for temperatures above 650°C, the results confirm the decomposition of MoS2 and formation of others sulphides during the sintering cycle. In addition, there occurs dissolution of molybdenum resulting from MoS2 decomposition.