A study of the structure and properties of material based on an iron-copper composite powder

Abstract

The study was conducted on the influence of chemical precipitation of copper on the change in the physical, chemical and technological properties of atomized powder based on iron. The kinetics of the copper deposition process from the solution of copper glycerate and the technological parameters of the deposition process have been established, helping obtain copper plating with adjustable thickness. The study of the physical properties of composite powders has shown that plating changes the shape, size, and morphology of the surface of particles of iron powder. Due to this, there are changes in the technological characteristics of iron powders, in particular their fluidity and bulk density increase. The study of the structure of composite powders has shown a difference in porosity at low pressures after compression, compared with the original iron powder, which is due to the best repositioning of particles at the stage of structural deformation. This allows the compression process to be carried out at lower pressures to obtain satisfactory porosity. Second pressing of briquettes based on composite powders results in a decrease in the total porosity of the material by 6-7 %, which is due to the effect of plastic copper, which is more easily deformed at a pressure of up to 800 MPa. The study of the physical and mechanical properties of composite powders has shown that plating with copper increases bending strength and toughness with hardness. The improvement of properties is due to the dissolution of copper in the iron after sintering and the formation of a solid copper solution in aFe. In addition, the introduction of copper by chemical precipitation allows obtaining a material with a uniform distribution of the alloying component throughout the volume of iron, which is confirmed by the results of metallographic analysis and measurement of specific electrical resistance. There are grounds to argue that it is possible to control the amount of copper in an iron powder with a given thickness of plating by a chemical precipitation method, which helps obtain powdered material with high performance characteristics.