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This paper reports on the results of a study of the mechanical properties of sinters made of a new iron-based material, which is becoming increasingly popular in the manufacture of diamond impregnated tools as an economical substitute for cobalt and cobalt alloys. The sinters were formed by hot pressing a mixture of iron and bronze powders. Their properties were compared with those of hot pressed cobalt (SMS) powder. The specimens were analyzed for density, porosity, hardness, expansion and tensile strength. The fracture surface topography and the material microstructure were analyzed with an electron scanning microscope and a light microscope. The study involved determining the effects of the content of the powder on the chemical composition of the sinters as well as the influence of the fabrication process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the material. The investigations show that the new iron-based material is inferior to cobalt; however, because of a favourable combination of hardness, yield strength and ductility it seems suitable for general purpose applications.
Keywords: bronze, iron, hot pressing, sintered diamond tools, matrix powder© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.