A study of the debinding and sintering behavior of T42 high-speed steel produced by powder injection molding (PIM)

Tool steels have a large range of applications including hot and cold working of metals and injection molding of plastic or light alloys. High-speed steel (HSS) is specifically used for cutting tools and for components subjected to extreme wear conditions, because of its high strength, wear resistance, hardness, toughness, and fatigue resistance. The microstructure of HSS can be described as a metallic matrix iron composite containing a dispersion of hard and wear-resistant carbides. Specimens were manufactured experimentally from T42 powder (50–80 vol%) and mixed binder (20–50 vol%) by powder injection molding. The binders (green parts) were debound in n-hexane solution at 60 °C for 8 h and thermally debound in a mixed N₂–H₂ gas atmosphere for 8 h. Specimens were sintered under high vacuum (10^?5 Torr) at different temperatures. When sintering was performed at 1,260 °C, the specimen sintered under high vacuum had the highest hardness (550 Hv). The carbides were smaller (1 μm) and well distributed. Grain size was 10 μm. When sintering was performed under high vacuum at temperatures above 1,280 °C the carbides changed to eutectic carbide located at grain boundaries. Grain growth was observed. Specimens sintered at other pressures had lower density and hardness than those sintered under high vacuum.     

Fabrication and performance of nanoporous TiO2/SnO2 electrodes with a half hollow sphere structure for dye sensitized solar cells

The incorporation of nano-crystalline semiconductors with novel kinds of ordered microstructure is a very important area of research in the field of dye sensitized solar cells. A sol–gel method involving hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide was used to form TiO₂ nanoparticles on the surface of SiO₂ spheres. In this process, 1, 5, or 10 wt% of SnCl₂.2H₂O was added to the sol–gel solution. To prepare TiO₂/SnO₂ nanoparticles with a half hollow sphere structure, SiO₂ was removed with NaOH solution. The crystal phase, crystal shape, and surface properties of the metal oxide nanocrystals were studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The photovoltaic performance of the TiO₂/SnO₂ nanoparticles with half hollow sphere structures was measured. The dye sensitized solar cell using nanoporous TiO₂ as electrode materials exhibits an overall conversion efficiency of 7.36% with a light intensity of 100 mW/cm². The short circuit photocurrent (I_sc), open circuit photovoltage (V_oc), and conversion efficiency (η) of these solar cells were improved over conventional materials.