Reaction of carbon with molybdenum during indirect sintering

The present work was undertaken with the aim of studying the influence exerted by carbon on some properties and structural parameters (porosity and carbide particle size and distribution) of molybdenum powder semi-finished products during sintering. The probability of certain processes occurring during the sintering of molybdenum and carbon powder mixtures in the temperature range 298-2000/sup 0/K and the conditions of their progress were assessed by results of calculations of the effect of temperature on changes in the free energies of the reactions of the components with each other and with the constituents of the sintering atmosphere. On the basis of the experimental investigation's results presented here, compositions and methods were developed for the production of molybdenum base carbide-hardened P/M alloys.