New Developments in PM Steel for MoldMaking

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By Patricia Miller

Highly alloyed steels are difficult to manufacture using conventional steel melting methods. As alloying elements such as chromium, tungsten, molybdenum and vanadium increase in content, they will segregate during solidification and form carbide networks that make the steel more brittle. Even hot working will still leave a coarse and nonuniform microstructure. By making an ingot small enough, solidification can take place quickly, so that segregation is reduced to negligible levels. This is the concept behind producing steel using atomization. A standard cast ingot, which can weigh several tons, would need hours to solidify; a powder particle needs only fractions of a second for total solidification. Hence, powder atomizing technology was introduced to address these common concerns.  Read More