High flowability low furnace-pollution segregation-free iron based powder containing no metallic soap lubricant

A new type of segregation-free iron based powder containing only wax as a lubricant completely and free from metallic soap, CLEAN MIX (KWAX-C), has been developed to improve flowability and productivity in sintering process to lighten the burden in the maintenance of furnace. The flow rate of CLEAN MIX (KWAX-C) is almost equal to that of the conventional segregation-free iron based powder containing wax lubricant, CLEAN MIX (KWAX-A) and the index of flow blocking is smaller by 62%. The powder characteristics; such as compressibility, Rattler value and ejection force of CLEAN MIX (KWAX-C), and the mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, Charpy impact value and dimensional changes during sintering of the compact made of it, were almost equal to those of the conventional segregation-free iron based powder containing wax lubricant.