Dimensional changes, microstructure, microhardness distributions and corrosion properties of iron and iron-manganese sintered materials

Abstract

Iron samples and Fe-Mn alloys with Mn content of 25 wt.% and 30 wt.% were prepared by blending, compressing and sintering with the aim to study their dimensional changes, microstructure, microhardness distribution and primarily the electrochemical corrosion behaviour in a simulated body environment. The light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and microhardness measurements revealed a microheterogeneous multiphase structure of sintered Fe-Mn samples. The potentiodynamic tests have demonstrated that the corrosion rates of such Fe-Mn alloys immersed in Hank's solution were higher than those for a pure iron, and also higher than the rates reported for homogeneous Fe-Mn alloys.