CONSOLIDATION OF NANOCRYSTALLINE FE-1.6 WT-PERCENT-C VIA LOW-TEMPERATURE HOT ISOSTATIC PRESSING

Ball-milled Fe-1.6 wt% C powder with a nanocrystalline substructure wa s consolidated to fill density via hot isostatic pressing at 500 degre es C and 414 MPa. The HIPped microstructure remained largely nanocryst alline (similar to 39 nm in diameter). Although the grain size increas ed, the grain size distribution was not significantly altered. The res ults of this study suggest that other nanocrystalline materials in pow der form may be consolidated via HIPping at temperatures low enough to prevent extensive grain growth. (C) 1998 Acta Metallurgica Inc.