A typical trade-off relationship exists between strength and elongation in face-centered cubic metals. Studies have recently been conducted to enhance strength without ductility reduction through surface-treatment-based ultrasonic nanocrystalline surface modification (UNSM), which creates a gradient microstructure in which grains become smaller from the inside to the surface. The transformation-induced plasticity effect in Fe-Mn alloys results in excellent strength and ductility due to their high work-hardening rate. This rate is achieved through strain-induced martensitic transformation when an alloy is plastically deformed. In this study, Fe-6%Mn powders with different sizes were prepared by high-energy ball milling and sintered through spark plasma sintering to produce Fe-6%Mn samples. A gradient microstructure was obtained by stacking the different-sized powders to achieve similar effects as those derived from UNSM. A compressive test was performed to investigate the mechanical properties, including the yielding behavior. The deformed microstructure was observed through electron backscatter diffraction to determine the effects of gradient plastic deformation.

The microstructure evolution during sintering of a compact being composed of three layers of (WC-15%Co)/Fe powder mixture with different Fe contents has been observed. The Fe contents in the respective (WC-15%Co)/Fe layers were varied by 20%. 50%, and 90% in sequence by volume from a top layer to a bot- tom layer. The sintering temperatures and times were varied from 110 to 125 and from 1 h to 4 h, The compact layer was not densified below 120 in 4 h. Appropriate sintering temperature and time conditions for making a multi-layered hard metal compact were determined as 125 and 3 h, respectively.