Powder Densification Preparation Of Iron-based Foam

Fe foam has already aroused more and more interest of researchers, because its compressive performance and energy absorption are better than the performance of other low-melting metal foam. Fe foam can be used for auto-making, huge building, light structural material and other broader field. Although the study history of metal foam has been almost 50 years, research of Fe foam still was at the preparation stage of craft.The paper described Fe foam produced by a Powder-Compact Foaming (PCF) process. It was studied how the contents of components, the mass of powder and the process of compaction had the influence on the density of cubes. The paper studied the influence of foaming temperature and foaming time on the porosities and cell size of samples. We have a metallographic examination of samples. The mechanical properties of Fe+C sample was tested.The porosity of samples was between 30% and 60%, and the cell diameter was between 0.1mm and 6mm. The weight percent of CaCO₃ was between 0.4wt% and 0.5wt% in Fe+C compacts. The weight percent of SrCO₃ was 0.6wt% in 410L+C compacts. The height of cold pressed compacts was between 7mm and 12mm. The velocity of cold pressed was between 0.02 mm/s and 0.05 mm/s. The force of cold pressed was between 1020 MPa and 1720 MPa. The foaming temperature was 1300℃, and heat preservation constant temperature time was between 1.5 min and 6 min. The tissue of Fe+C samples was pearlite and secondary cementite, and the tissue of 410L+C samples was ferrite and carbide. The most compressive stress of Fe+C samples powder whose porosity was 53% wasl 10 MPa.Because of some high performance of Fe foam that other low melting point metal can not compare with, accordingly, the study of Fe foam will attract more and more interest of researchers. The paper used as a reference point for Fe foam study.