Interface formation and diffusion of alloying elements during cosintering of MIM 316L/17-4PH stainless steel parts: experiments and simulation

Interface investigations of cosintered parts produced via two component metal injection moulding (2CMIM) require a high demand of experiments. To reduce the experimental time and effort, the commercial simulation software DICTRA-Thermo-Calc was used to predict the interface formation. In this work, the material combination 316L/17-4PH is examined at different sintering temperatures: 1270 and 1360 degrees C, and three holding times: 1, 2 and 4 h at 1360 degrees C. Micrographs, energy dispersive X-ray/scanning electron microscopy linescans and simulations showed the evolution of the interfaces for different conditions. The broadest diffusion layer was obtained at 1360 degrees C for 4 h. At an elevated temperature, the interdiffusion provoked the formation of a rich ferrite region close to the interface in the 17-4PH, which was increased for longer holding times. The simulation was able to predict the same tendencies obtained by experimental results.