[SIS7] Powder Design for Industrial Application

[16C-SIS7-01] Special Invited: Development of Aluminum Bronze Powder for Powder Metallurgy

*S. Masuoka¹, S. Shinohara¹, Y. Shimpo¹ (1.Fukuda Metal Foil & Power Co., Ltd., Japan)

Keywords:aluminum bronze powder, fluoride, phosphorus alloy, sinterability

Aluminum bronze is a copper alloy with high strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance, and is widely used in ships and mechanical parts. However, it has been difficult to manufacture aluminum bronze using powder metallurgy because alumina layer is formed on the powder surface and prevents sintering. In this development, we removed the alumina layer through AlOF gas formation by adding AlF₃ as a sintering aid to the Cu–Al alloy, which was the raw material powder, and succeeded in promoting diffusion among powder particles. Furthermore, we improved the sinterability by adding CaF₂, which forms a liquid phase with AlF₃, and by adding Cu–P, which generates a liquid phase during the sintering process. As a result, it has become possible to sinter the aluminum bronze in a low H₂ concentration atmosphere including N₂, and the mass productivity of it has been improved.