Effect of Additive Cu-10Sn Alloy on Sintering Behavior of Elemental Powders in Composition of 465 Stainless Steel

The addition of Cu-10Sn alloy for developing the high strength 465 maraging stainless steel from elemental powders was studied. The sintering parameters investigated include the sintering temperature, the sintering time, and the mass percent of Cu-10Sn. For vacuum sintering, effective sintering occurs at temperature between 1250°C and 1300°C. The maximum sintered density was achieved at 1300°C for 60 min with 3% (in mass percent) Cu-10Sn alloy. More than 3% (in mass percent) Cu-10Sn content and temperature above 1300°C caused slumping of the samples. A maximum density of 7.4 g/cm3 was achieved with 3% (in mass percent) Cu-10Sn content at a sintering temperature of 1300°C for 60 min. A maximum ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 517 MPa was achieved with 3% (in mass percent) Cu-10Sn content. With content higher than 2% (in mass percent) Cu-10Sn, a maximum increase in the density was observed. The fracture morphologies of the sintered samples are also reported.