Mechanical properties and hardness results of the medium frequency induction sintered iron based powder metal bushings

In this study; iron based powder metal (PM) bushing compacts were sintered via medium frequency induction heating system. Iron based powders were mixed with 2 wt.% copper (Cu), 0.3 wt.% carbon (C) and 1 wt.% zinc stearat (Zn-st) via V-Type mixer. PM compacts were sintered by 2 different sintering processes. One of them was conventional sintering method other was medium frequency induction sintering method. In conventional sintering process, PM bushing compacts were sintered under inert environmental at 1120?C for 30 minutes. In medium frequency induction sintering process, PM bushing compacts were sintered between 30-50 kHz frequency (Medium frequency) at 2 kW, 1120?C for 1 or 3 minutes under atmospheric environmental. Mechanical properties, densities and micro hardness? were investigated for all sintered processes. SEM and micro structural images were taken from polished broken surface of the sintered PM bushing compacts. 3 minutes induction sintered compacts were reached the compressive strength, microhardness and density values of the conventional sintered PM bushing compact.