Effect of sintering and pressing parameters on the densification of cold isostatically pressed Al and Fe powders

In this study, iron and aluminum powders have been pressed up to 600 MPa pressure in a cold isostatic pressing unit. Pressed specimens were sintered at 600, 620, and 640 °C for 20 min for aluminum and 1200 °C for 30, 60 and 90 min durations for iron under argon atmosphere in a tube furnace. In order to observe the effects of pressing pressure and sintering temperature and duration on sintering behavior of samples after and before sintering densification values of samples have been measured. All products were examined by scanning electron microscope in order to determine the morphological change of powders in block samples. Packing densities were initially 48% and 33 % and these values have reached to 98% and 89.2% under pressures of 600 MPa for Al and Fe powders, respectively. When these pressed specimens were sintered at 600 °C/20 min and 1200 °C/30 min, the maximum values of densification for Al and Fe powders reached to 99.3% and 91.5%, respectively.