Iron-based alloy for powder injection molding

Abstract

A ferrous alloy for powder injection molding is provided. The ferrous alloy for powder injection molding includes iron (Fe) at 52.59-78.15 wt %, chromium (Cr) at 16.45-37.34 wt %, boron (B) at 3.42-7.76 wt %, silicon (Si) at 1.64-1.92 wt %, sulfur (S) at 0-0.21 wt %, carbon (C) at 0.16-0.18 wt %, and other inevitable impurities.

1 . A ferrous alloy for powder injection molding, comprising iron (Fe) at 52.59-78.15 wt %, chromium (Cr) at 16.45-37.34 wt %, boron (B) at 3.42-7.76 wt %, silicon (Si) at 1.64-1.92 wt %, sulfur (S) at 0-0.21 wt %, carbon (C) 0.16-0.18 wt %, and other inevitable impurities. 
     
     
         2 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a ratio X Cr /X B  of the chromium (Cr) and boron (B) is 1.0. 
     
     
         3 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 2 , wherein a sum (X Cr +X B ) of a mole fraction of the chromium (Cr) and the boron (B) is 0.30 to 0.60. 
     
     
         4 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 1 , wherein a sum (X Fe +X Cr +X B ) of a mole fraction of the iron (Fe), the chromium (Cr), and the boron (B) is 0.9635. 
     
     
         5 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 4 , wherein in a microstructure of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding, chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is distributed in a network form within a ferrite base. 
     
     
         6 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 5 , wherein a volume fraction of the chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is 51-91%. 
     
     
         7 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 6 , wherein hardness of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding is 600-1600 VHN. 
     
     
         8 . A method of injection molding a ferrous powder, the method comprising:
 providing powder of a ferrous alloy for powder injection molding according to  claim 1 ;   forming a powder mixture by mixing the powder of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding and a binder;   compression molding the powder mixture;   removing the binder by heating the powder mixture; and   sintering the powder mixture from which the binder is removed.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the powder mixture is formed by mixing the powder of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding according to  claim 1 , paraffin wax, tungsten carbide balls, and heptanes in a container and rotating the container. 
     
     
         10 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 2 , wherein a sum (X Fe +X Cr +X B ) of a mole fraction of the iron (Fe), the chromium (Cr), and the boron (B) is 0.9635. 
     
     
         11 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 3 , wherein a sum (X Fe +X Cr +X B ) of a mole fraction of the iron (Fe), the chromium (Cr), and the boron (B) is 0.9635. 
     
     
         12 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 5 , wherein in a microstructure of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding, chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is distributed in a network form within a ferrite base. 
     
     
         13 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 11 , wherein in a microstructure of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding, chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is distributed in a network form within a ferrite base. 
     
     
         14 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 12 , wherein a volume fraction of the chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is 51-91%. 
     
     
         15 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 13 , wherein a volume fraction of the chromium boride (Cr 2 B) is 51-91%. 
     
     
         16 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 14 , wherein hardness of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding is 600-1600 VHN. 
     
     
         17 . The ferrous alloy of  claim 15 , wherein hardness of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding is 600-1600 VHN. 
     
     
         18 . A method of injection molding a ferrous powder, the method comprising:
 providing powder of a ferrous alloy for powder injection molding according to  claim 2 ;   forming a powder mixture by mixing the powder of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding and a binder;   compression molding the powder mixture;   removing the binder by heating the powder mixture; and   sintering the powder mixture from which the binder is removed.   
     
     
         19 . A method of injection molding a ferrous powder, the method comprising:
 providing powder of a ferrous alloy for powder injection molding according to  claim 3 ;   forming a powder mixture by mixing the powder of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding and a binder;   compression molding the powder mixture;   removing the binder by heating the powder mixture; and   sintering the powder mixture from which the binder is removed.   
     
     
         20 . A method of injection molding a ferrous powder, the method comprising:
 providing powder of a ferrous alloy for powder injection molding according to  claim 4 ;   forming a powder mixture by mixing the powder of the ferrous alloy for powder injection molding and a binder;   compression molding the powder mixture;   removing the binder by heating the powder mixture; and   sintering the powder mixture from which the binder is removed.