Making iron aluminides out of scrap

The abundance of iron and aluminum raw materials is often quoted as a strategic advantage of iron aluminides against other competing materials (not only stainless steels, but also nickel and titanium aluminides). These raw materials, however, are not only abundant in the form of ores in earth's crust, but also as scrap produced in the extensive technological activity associated with these base metals. The present work reports results of two prospective experiments designed for obtaining iron aluminides exclusively from readily available scrap (aluminum cans, carbon steel strips and stainless steel sheet metal forming residues, this last as a source of chromium and molybdenum). Two base alloys with nominal composition Fe–30Al–6Cr and different carbon contents were molten in a laboratory induction furnace with no atmosphere protection other than blowing Argon over the melt surface. The produced ingots were characterized concerning their microstructures and final composition, which allows estimating the incorporation efficiency of the alloying elements using this processing route. Oxidation tests at the temperature range of 800–1100 °C under air were performed to demonstrate that these alloys show similar behavior as the ones obtained using conventional processing routes. The results are discussed concerning the viability of this low-cost processing route for the industrial production of iron aluminides.