Production of 17CrMoV5-11 steel sponges utilising powder metallurgical replication technique with SiC as space holder

Abstract

Porous materials, characterised by their cellular structure, have interesting combinations of physical and mechanical properties. In such a context, steel sponges could be employed as an alternative to light alloys in several applications needing a good compromise between weight and mechanical properties. In this work, a new approach is presented that uses a powder metallurgical replication technique to produce steel foams while using SiC spheres as a space holder. The processed sponges were characterised from a morphological, microstructural and mechanical point of view. The results of the characterisation demonstrated the feasibility and the repeatability of the proposed production route.

Keywords:

• Metal foams
• Steel sponges
• Powder metallurgy
• Cellular metals

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge G. Spanò, C. Tromellini, A. Albertinetti, M. Quattrocchio and L. Rovatti for supplying the materials and for their technical support during process and characterisation.