Colloidal processing of Fe-based metal ceramic composites with high content of ceramic reinforcement

Major difficulties of processing metal-matrix composites by means of conventional powder metallurgy techniques are the lack of dispersion of the phases within the final microstructure. In this work, processing through colloidal techniques of the Fe-based metal-matrix composites, with a high content of a ceramic reinforcement (Ti(C,N) ), is presented for the first time in the literature. The colloidal approach allows a higher control of the powders packing and a better homogenization of phases since powders are mixed in a liquid medium. The chemical stability of Fe in aqueous medium determines the dispersion conditions of the mixture. The Fe slurries were formulated by optimising their zeta potential and their rheology, in order to shape bulk pieces by slip-casting. Preliminary results demonstrate the viability of this procedure, also opening new paths to the microstructural design of fully sintered Fe-based hard metal, with 50 vol. % of Ti(C,N) in its composition. (Author)