Effect of powder characteristics on the sintering behavior of TiC-Fe-Cr-Mo cermets: Fe carbonyl and Cr3C2 mixtures vs. 17-4PH powders

New TiC based cermets have been obtained by liquid phase sintering using powder mixtures including Fe carbonyl, Mo 2 C, Cr 3 C 2 and 17-4PH powders. As observed in other TiC-Fe based cermets, sintering of TiC-FeCrMo-17-4PH alloys involves the carbothermal reduction of powder oxides, which in the case of cermets containing 17-4PH, are mainly Cr and Ti based. Liquid phase sintering is hindered as the 17-4PH content increases. This is associated to a loss of homogeneity in the powder mixtures and likely to a loss of wettability. TiC-FeCrMo-17-4PH cermets mainly consist of TiC-(Ti 1-x ,Mo x ) y C z grains integrated in a metallic matrix, whose crystalline structure can be modified from martensite to austenite by changing the Fe carbonyl to17-4PH ratio and the carbon content. The observed precipitation of minoritary phases like M 7 C 3 and M 23 C 6 is consistent with the total Cr and C content of the alloys as predicted by TC® software and TCFE13 database. • New TiC cermets have been obtained by liquid phase sintering from TiC, Fe carbonyl and 17-4PH stainless steel powders. • Liquid phase sintering is hindered as the 17-4PH content increases. • The nature of binder phase can be tailored from BCC to FCC by changing the Fe carbonyl to 17-4PH ratio and the C content. • Precipitation of M 7 C 3 and M 23 C 6 is consistent with thermodynamic modelling.