Direct Recycling of Tool Steel Swarf Using Field Assisted Sintering

Steel swarf generated from the machining and polishing of steel tools can be recovered, cleaned, milled, and magnetically separated into a powder suitable for processing via field assisted sintering. Field assisted sintering, when combined with thermal post-treatments, has the potential to directly generate tools, such as cutting disks, from this recovered swarf. The attractive features of this technique include the ability to generate metal matrix composites, the utilization of unconventionally shaped powder, and the avoidance of the high energy cost of re-melting. The possibilities of this technique are explored using a high carbon and high chromium steel swarf, AISI D2, produced industrially and recovered for direct recycling to contribute to a circular economy.