The densification behavior of Al-20Si-5.5Fe-1.2Mg-0.5Mn powders was investigated through micro-structure analysis of sintered specimens. The specimens sintered in vacuum or in high purity (99.999%) nitrogen showed porous near-surface microstructures. The densification of near-surface part was enhanced by means of ultra-high purity (99.9999%) nitrogen atmosphere. The relationship between slow densification and oxide surfaces of Al alloy powders was discussed. And the effects of Mg addition, nitrogen gas, and humidity on densification were discussed. In addition, the rapid growth of primary Si crystals above the critical temperature was reported.

The microstructure and mechanical property of hot-pressed nanocomposites with a different temperature for atmosphere changing from to Ar have been studied. When the atmosphere changed from to Ar gas at , the hot-pressed composite was characterized by inhomogeneous microstructure and low fracture strength. On the contrary, when the atmosphere changed at a lower temperature of , a more homogeneous microstructure and higher fracture strength was observed.

Due to the increasing use that the stainless steel is getting recently in the nuclear industry, this document proposes the study of the stainless steel 316L with boron addition. With the final product, the properties of the stainless steel 316L (good mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance) with the boron neutron absorption properties are claimed to unify. The P/M technologies allow adding higher boron quantities than with the solidification conventional technologies, where segregation is produced.

The effect of chemical composition of the sintering atmosphere on density, microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-3%Mn-(Cr)-(Mo)-0.3%C steels is described. Pre-alloyed Astaloy CrM and CrL, ferromanganese and graphite were used as the starting powders. Following pressing in a rigid die, compacts were sintered at 1120 and in atmospheres having different ratio and furnace cooled to room temperature. It has been found that the atmosphere composition has negligible effect on the as-sintered properties of the investigated materials.

The microstructure and mechanical property of hot-pressed composites with a different temperature for atmosphere changing from H to Ar have been studied. When atmosphere-changed from H to Ar gas at 145, the hot-pressed composite was characterized by inhomogeneous microstructure and low fracture strength. On the contrary, when atmosphere-changed at low temperature of 110 the composite showed more homogeneous microstructure, higher fracture strength and smaller deviation in strength. Based on the thermodynamic consideration and microstructural analysis, it was interpreted that the Cu wetting behavior relating to the formation of CuAlO is probably responsible for strong dependence of microstructure on atmosphere changing temperature. The reason for a strong sensitivity of fracture strength and especially of its deviation to atmosphere changing temperature was explained by the microstructural inhomogeneity and by the role of CuAlO phase on the interfacial bonding strength.

For the purpose of investigating the effect of sintering atmosphere and carbon addition on sintered density and microstructural characteristics, the M3/2 grade high speed steel powders with the addition of carbon are sintered in vacuum and gas atmosphere. With the addition of 0 wt%C, 0.45wt%C and 1.15 wt%C the optimum sintering temperatures decrease down to , and respectively for the vacuum sintered specimen, and also decrease down to , and for the gas sintered specimen. The threshold temperatures for full densification decrease steeply with increasing carbon content of the sintered specimen, while this temperatures are slowly decreased at high carbon content. The vacuum sintered specimen shows the primary carbides of MC and type at the optimum sintering temperature, and eutectic carbides of and Fe-Cr type are produced in the oversintered specimen. The gas sintered specimen exhibits M6C and Fe-Cr type primary carbides at the optimum sintering temperature. The eutectic carbides of and Fe-Cr type and MX type carbonitride are shown for the oversintered specimen in the gas atmosphere. The hardness of gas sintered specimen shows high value of 830-860 Hv due to the increment of carbide precipitation.

The densification and grain growth mechanisms of in and in have been investigated. Uranium dioxide powder compacts were sintered at 1 in or at 110 in for various times from 0.5 h to 16 h. The grain size and density of the specimens were measured. From the measured data, the mechanisms of the densification and grain growth were determined by use of available kinetic equations which express the relations between densification and grain growth. In both atmospheres, it has been found that the densification was controlled by the lattice diffusion and the grain growth by the surface diffusion of atoms around pores. It appears that the surface diffusivity as well as the lattice diffusivity increase considerably with the increase in O/U ratio in the specimen.

수소 및 산소분위기 하에서 2Y-TZP 및 3Y-PZP 세라믹스를 소결하여 각각 제조한 다음, 각 시편의 미세구조 및 250˚C에서의 등온상전이 거동을 비교하여 고찰하였다. 그 결과 수소분위기에서 소결한 모든 시편의 표면에서는 Zr4+ 이온의 환원에 의해 산화분위기에서 소결한 시편에 비하여 색이 검게 변하였으며, 장시간 소결시 시편 표면에 조대 입자의 생성 및 입계 이완이 관찰되었다. 이에따라 수소분위기 하에서 장시간 소결된 시편의 경우 냉각 시 상전이가 일어나 다량의 단사정상이 상온에서 존재하였다. 저온 aging동안 등온상전이 속도는 산소분위기에서 소결한 시편보다 수소분위기에서 소결한 시편에서 낮게 나타났으며, 이러한 경향은 Y2O3의 고용량이 크고, 입자크기가 적은 시편일수록 증가하였다. 또한 2Y-TZP 시편에서는 입자크기에 상관없이 대부분의 정방정상이 단사정상으로 빨리 등온상전이를 일으켰으나, 3Y-TZP 시편의 경우, 등온상전이는 입자크기가 증가함에 따라 상전이 속도도 증가하였다.

The effect ofgas sintering atmosphere on the carbon content and mechanical properties during the metal injection molding process of carbonyl iron-nickel powder was studied. The carbon content of the specimen after debinding in the pureatmosphere appeared 0.78 wt%. After showing the maximum value of 1.48 wt.% in the debinding atmosphere of 10%gas mixture, the carbon content of the debinded specimen decreased gradually with increasing thecontent in thegas mixture. The carbon contents of the sintered specimen were 0.46~0.63wt% in Na gas atmosphere, while they appeared extremely low above 40%gas atmosphere. The relative sintered density increased abruptly from 88~90% to 93~96% with the addition of Ni, while the density nearly unchanged above 2% Ni addition. The sintered density increased with increasing the fraction ofgas mixture. Tensile strength and hardness increased, and elongation decreased with increasing carbon and Ni content. In spite of high carbon content of 0.63 wt%, the superior elongation value of 10% was shown.