Effect of Boron on the structure and mechanical properties of PM Fe-Si compacts after through vacuum carburising

The work was aimed at determining the influence of boron on the structure and mechanical properties of sintered steels obtained by through vacuum carburising of Fe-Si compacts. Vacuum carburising with immediate sintering of the compacts made of a mixture of iron ASC100.29, silicon and ferroboron powders was carried out at 1050 and 1150 °C in a laboratory vacuum furnace. The structures of surface layer and core, as well as selected mechanical properties of the obtained sintered alloys were studied. It was found that the boron addition up to 0.015% improved the strength characteristic of the examined steels.