Abstract

In the current work, 1 wt% Acrawax was premixed with the aluminium and magnesium powder as a lubricant for the first group samples. However, no wax was used for the second group specimens. As a sintering aid, 1 wt% Mg was added for both group materials. Compaction of the specimens was performed using a manual Carver hydraulic press and a floating rectangular die. First group specimens were pressed to green densities of 91.5 and 92.5% using pressures of 435 and 490 MPa, respectively. In the second group (no wax) samples, 93% green density was obtained using the similar compaction pressures. These conditions produced specimens whose dimensions were: 31.8 × 12.7 × 3.5 mm³. As a result, an increase has been seen on the density of sintered and green compacts with rising compacting pressure. Furthermore, addition of the wax negatively affected the transverse rupture strength of the alloy.

Key words: Powder metallurgy, aluminum, sintering, microstructure, mechanical properties.