Capabilities of Two Chromium Powder Metallurgy Steels for High Performance Applications at Conventional Sintering Temperatures

Ancorsteel 4300, a high performance Cr-Si-Ni-Mo steel, was unveiled two years ago as the first in a series of powder metallurgy alloys that will simulate wrought steel compositions. Advantages of this alloy include good compressibility, high hardenability, and excellent dimensional stability. More important, however, is that this alloy has the ability to be effectively sintered at 1120 °C and maintain oxygen contents below 500 ppm. This unique blend of performance and processing capabilities provides static and dynamic properties that exceed those of conventional powder metallurgy alloys and approach wrought gearing materials. A second Cr-Si-Ni-Mo alloy has now been developed that offers complimentary performance levels at a lower Mo content. This manuscript reviews properties of the two chromium steels with comparisons to traditional sinter-hardened and heat-treated powder metallurgy alloys.