Strengthening Behaviour and Microstructural Properties during the Compaction of Reduced Blast Furnace Flue Dust—Fly Ash—Iron Metal Matrix Composite Fines using Powder Metallurgy Route

Abstract

Products developed through the powder metallurgy route have significantly contributed to structural application, automotive, and aircraft industry in the last decades. Several research works are available on the use of pure metal powder for the development of useful products through the powder metallurgy process. The study on the physical and mechanical properties of compacted reduced composite fines produced after crushing of reduced composite briquette containing Blast furnace flue dust, iron oxide, graphite powder, and fly ash is limited. The physical property such as density of green briquettes made with reduced composite fines, and 0.5% sodium silicate has been measured as a function of compaction pressures (75, 90, and 100 MPa). The maximum density of 5341.6 kg/m³ was achieved at 100 MPa pressure. The samples possessing maximum density has been sintered at different temperatures of 1100 °C, 1150 °C, and 1200 °C for 60 min, 90 min, and 120 min respectively. The density, compressive strength, and hardness were measured after sintering of the samples. The samples were sintered at 1150 °C for 120 min achieve maximum density of 6111.4 kg/m³, compressive strength of 238.72 MPa, and hardness of 109.34 VHN.