In the current study, the effects of particle size on compaction behavior of water-atomized pure iron powders are investigated. The iron powders are assorted into three groups depending on the particle size; 20-45 , 75-106 , and 150-180 for the compaction experiments. The powder compaction procedures are processed with pressure of 200, 400, 600, and 800 MPa in a cylindrical die. After the compaction stage, the group having 150-180 of particle size distribution shows the best densification behavior and reaches the highest green density. The reason for these results can be explained by the largest average grain size in the largest particle group, due to the low plastic deformation resistance in large grain sized materials.

Machinability and machining mechanism were examined in the case where resin impregnation treatment was conducted to the Mo-Co hardening particle dispersed iron-based sintered alloy. As a result, the force required for machining decreased significantly compared with the case where resin impregnation treatment was not conducted. This effect is considered to be attributable to the embrittlement of cutting chips produced by the minimization of the cut material deformation.

Seasonal changes have been recognized in particle characteristics and forming characteristics of iron powder with insulated coating for a compacted magnetic core because of its high hygroscopicity, due to its phosphate coating and resin binder additives. For this reason, particle characteristics and molding characteristics of the powder with diverse water absorbtivity have been studied. The result shows that the higher the volume of absorbed water, the worse the fluidity becomes, resulting in the reduction in both springback during the molding process and expansion reduction after the heat treatment. The requirement on dimension accuracy for the finished product can be satisfied with an additional drying process on the material powder, which contributes to maintain its water volume constant.