DENSIFICATION AND MICROSTRUCTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PREALLOYED ALPHA BRASS POWDER PROCESSED BY LIQUID PHASE SINTERING

The rapidly solidified prealloyed alpha brass powder with a size range of 40 to 100 ?m produced by wateratomization process was consolidated using liquid phase sintering process. the relationships between sinteringtemperature, physic-mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics were investigated. maximumdensification was obtained at 930 °c, under 600 mpa compacting pressure, with 60 min holding time. themicrostructure of the sintered brass was influenced by dezincification and structural coarsening during supersolidusliquid phase sintering. as a consequence of kirkendall effect atomic motion between cu and zn atoms caused todezincification at the grain boundaries and formation of zno particles on the pore surfaces. it was concluded thatmicrostructural analysis is in a well agreement with obtained physical and mechanical properties. also, the amount ofliquid phase, which depends on sintering temperature, results in different load bearing cross section areas, and itaffects the type of fracture morphologies.