We investigated the mechanism how the high green density can be provided during die lubricated warm compaction (WD). We observed and analyzed the densification processes of iron powders including different contents of an inner lubricant, and measured the lateral pressure at the die wall during WD in comparison with conventional compaction and warm compaction. As a result, the high density in WD was due to not only the particles-deformation enhanced by warming powders but also the particles-rearrangement promoted by reducing an amount of the inner lubricant rather than the die lubrication.

The high pressure compaction without internal lubricant and the high green density even with the pore free density were achieved by the newly developed die wall lubricant for warm compaction. This developed die wall lubricated warm compaction followed by high temperature sintering resulted in not only the superior mechanical property but also the low dimensional change. In this paper, the effects of increasing the green density on the sintered density, the dimensional change and the mechanical property are mainly discussed