Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The 16MnCr5 alloy, a low-carbon case-hardening steel, widely utilized in automotive and machinery industries owing to its high surface hardness, core toughness along with wear resistance. Traditional manufacturing methods often result in extensive material wastage and limited geometric flexibility, whereas powder metallurgy (PM) offers near-net-shape processing, However, accomplishing full densification through conventional sintering remains to pose difficulties resulting from residual porosity, which may degrade mechanical performance. This study systematically investigates three PM processing routes for 16MnCr5 alloy containing 1 wt% Mo: (1) conventional sintering, (2) conventional sintering followed by hot forging and annealing and (3) hot press sintering, the resulting materials are designated as 16MnCr5-S, 16MnCr5-SFA and 16MnCr5-HPS, respectively. The samples were characterized for microstructure, density, and hardness using optical/SEM microscopy, XRD, EDS, and Archimedes density measurements. Results show that conventional sintering solely led to coarse ferritic grains, porosity, and the lowest density and hardness values. Hot press sintering achieved a homogeneous, fine-grained microstructure with reduced porosity due to simultaneous heat and pressure, but moderate hardness compared to 16MnCr5-SFA. The latter, displayed the highest density and hardness which can be ascribed to plastic deformation, strain-induced recrystallization refining grains, higher carbon diffusion, and stress relief during annealing in the same line, EDS revealed localized Cr and Mn segregation attributed to carbide precipitation. Overall, post-sintering thermomechanical treatment demonstrated most effective for enhancing density, hardness, and microstructural refinement in PM 16MnCr5, whereas hot press sintering offers a viable alternative for producing structurally uniform and chemically homogeneous components.