The Effect of Adding Iron Powder From Plasma Cutting on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties of the Composite Based on Aluminum Powder Matrix Made Using Powder Metallurgy

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research on the effect of added iron powder from plasma cutting on the mechanical properties and structure of a composite rod based on aluminum powder. The iron powder came from plasma cutting of steel elements and was handed over by the enterprise “AK Anatol” from Żary. One of the ways to dispose of it is to use it as a filler in aluminum composite rods. Research shows that Fe can be distributed in aluminum evenly, and increase in mechanical properties is achieved at the expense of only a slight increase in density. The proposed system does not reduce the amount of waste produced by plasma cutting but finds a use for some of it. The sintering point of the powder required a strongly reducing atmosphere (PO2 < 10–50 atm) which seems virtually unachievable under laboratory conditions. The reinforcing mechanism is related to the fragmentation of the matrix aggregate particles and the uniform distribution of Fe particles in the aluminum matrix.

Keywords

• al-fe composite
• iron powder
• plasma cutting
• aluminum matrix composites
• powder metallurgy
• mechanical properties