ARMORED ELEMENTS BY MEANS OF POWDER METALLURGY: APPLIED STRESSES, FRACTURE MECHANISMS AND SURFACES

The main aim of this work is to demonstrate the inter-dependencies between chemical composition, mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms to high-speed impacts of a selected series of P/M products. Materials tested have been designed to withstand the stresses produced by ballistic impacts, and processed by powder metallurgy techniques, producing two systems. The compositions were based on Distaloy AE and Astaloy CrL as main powders. The sintering treatment has been carried out in vacuum furnace, following the debinding phase done by the use of a dedicated furnace filled by nitrogen atmosphere. After sintering, the obtained samples had been tempered, using a cycle integrated to sintering. Characterizations were focused on assessment of fracture surfaces, microstructures, quantification of impact energy, hardness and density, followed by evaluation of the behaviour of the materials obtained towards high speed stresses connected to ballistic impacts.