International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The possibilities of Fe-Al intermetallic system production by vacuum sintering and impact consolidation of powder bodies, as well as the influence of the regimes of the methods used on the structure and properties of iron aluminides were studied in the article. Mixture of iron and aluminum powders were used for fabrication of iron aluminide Fe₃Al. The powder samples were compacted and vacuum sintered at temperatures of 1250, 1350, 1400 and 1450 °C, and also using hot forging at a temperature of 1050 °C and 1150 °C. It is shown, that the increase of density is observed only at a temperature of 1400 °C. At sintering temperature of 1450 °C the samples reach a density of 6,35 g/cm³, which is 94% of the theoretical value. Only the use of hot forging makes it possible to obtain nonporous samples. It is shown, that bending strength, fracture toughness and hardness increase with increase of sintering temperature, but higher values of this parameters have the samples, produced with use of hot forging.

The capabilities of powder hot forging for manufacturing of Fe₃Al intermetallics and effect of forging and following thermal treatment routines on their structure and properties had been investigated. Fe₃Al intermetallic powders were produced by means of thermal synthesis at 1000°С in vacuum from a mixture of Fe and Al elemental powders. Hot forging of consolidated preforms had been carried out from 1000, 1050, 1100 and 1150°С and afterwards the hot forged preforms were subjected to supplementary sintering in vacuum at 1100÷1450°С. It is foud, that thermal synthesis of Fe + 14% Al powder mixture results in formation of Fe₃Al phase. Sintering of hot forged specimens result in increasing of strength and crack growth resistance, which values enhance with increasing of sintering temperature. Otherwise the hardness of hot forged intermetallics decreases after their sintering. The influence of modes of treatment on the structure and properties of the materials was investigated. It has been established that the strength and fracture toughness of the intermetallics obtained from milled blend after hot forging had the higher values as compared with the alloy made from the batch without its milling.