Fe-Si-Al Alloys Prepared by a Spark Plasma Sintering Technique

Abstract:

Fe-Si alloys with various concentration of Al (0, 1, 3 and 5 % by mass) were synthesized by a spark plasma sintering technique. The specimens were prepared in an evacuated chamber of less than 4 Pa and under compressive stress of 40 MPa. During spark discharge, the heating rate was fixed at 10°C/min. After the SPS process was completed, the specimen surfaces were ground with silicon carbide papers. The metallographic characterization was performed by mean of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. According to sintering curves, all samples seem to have a similar sintering behavior. The densification of specimens was completed in the temperature range of about 1020-1050°C. Microstructure and phase characterization revealed that the alloys were mainly composed of FeSi₂ and FeSi phases containing oxide inclusions. The SEM images indicated that the fraction of FeSi phase and oxide inclusions appears to decrease with increase in Al concentration in the Fe-Si alloy.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 827)
• Pages: 300-305
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.827.300
• Online since: August 2015
• Authors: Toto Sudiro*, Kemas Ahmad Zaini Thosin, Didik Aryanto, Agus Sukarto Wismogroho, Kazuya Kurokawa
• Keywords: Al Addition, Densification, Fe-Si, Microstructure, Phase, Spark Plasma Sintering

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