PMSteel as a metal matrix composite material

Compositional homogeneity in admixed and sintered PM steel produce a unique system where one C C T diagram cannot predict the entire final microstructure. PM steel such as this is observed in industry, and can be created by incorporating larger Fe-particles such that less alloying constituents have a chance to fully alloy these regions. A prescribed heat treatment involving austenization and quenching will produce PM steel with islands of different microstructures: pearlitic regions and pores surrounded by a martensite matrix. This structure is characteristic of a metal matrix composite (M M C), and therefore could be treated as such. There are methods of M M C design that involve numerical methods of predicting fracture toughness. M M C methodology was used to calculate fracture toughness and compared to experimentally achieved values. Fe-C-Cr-Mn-Mo-Ni PM steel was created with ranging volume fractions of pearlitic inclusions for toughness (Tensile testing) and fracture toughness (Charpy testing) confirmation.