Sintered Structural Cu-Ni-Mo-C Low Alloyed Steels with Small Niobium Additions

The present paper investigates the possibilities of niobium using for the mechanical properties of the common low alloyed Cu-Ni-Mo-C sintered structural steels enhancing. On both thermodynamic and experimental bases there were demonstrated the Nb nitrides/carbides/carbonitrides preferential formation in these steels during sintering in dissociated ammonia at both common and elevated temperatures. The obtained results for $0.2\;{\div}\;1.0\;%$ fine Nb powder and 0.3% graphite additions to Distaloy AB iron base powder cold compacted and sintered in dissociated ammonia proved the expected strengthening effect, leading to higher mechanical properties of the processed steels than of the common Cu-Ni-Mo-C ones.