The effect of sintering time on the densification and mechanical properties of a mechanically alloyed Cr–Mn–N stainless steel

Sintering is an essential stage in powder metallurgy, which affects the final microstructure and performance of the part. This study is concerned with the sintering and mechanical behaviors of Fe–18Cr–8Mn–0.9N stainless steel prepared from mechanically alloyed amorphous/nanocrystalline powders. The contribution of sintering time to the densification at 1100 °C is considered and a sluggish densification is found for the alloy. Furthermore, the correlation between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the fabricated porous parts is studied. It is found that the yield stress is affected by both porosity and the material’s intrinsic yield strength. Nonetheless, the effect of porosity on the overall hardness typically prevails over the effect of matrix hardness. Interestingly, even after sintering at 1100 °C for up to 20 h, the nanometric structure of the material is retained.