Abstract:
This invention presents a method for manufacturing sintered and carburized porous stainless steel parts, comprising steps of: sintering stainless steel powders to obtain a porous sintered stainless steel, wherein the porous sintered stainless steel comprises a three dimensional network skeleton structure with a large number of interconnected pore channels; and carburizing the porous sintered stainless steel by a non-halogenated carbon-bearing gas, wherein the porous sintered stainless steel being maintained at a carburizing temperature below 600° C. such that carbon atoms can be implanted into the porous sintered stainless steel and converts a surface portion of the skeleton structure, that is in contact with the carbon-bearing gas in the interconnected pore channels, into a carburized layer. A carburized layer is formed and spread over a skeleton structure of the sintered porous body. Thereby, the strength, surface hardness, and core hardness of the sintered body are significantly increased.
Abstract:
This invention presents a sintered and carburized porous stainless steel part with improved strength and hardness and method thereof. The sintered and carburized porous stainless steel part has a porous body with a relative density between 30% and 89%, which is sintered from a stainless steel powder, wherein exposed pore surfaces inside the porous body are carburized without forming carbides and without using an activation process in advance. A carburized layer is formed and spread into the core of the sintered porous body. Thereby, the strength, surface hardness, and core hardness of the sintered body are significantly increased.