Influence of Alloy Addition on Mechanical Properties of Low Alloy Steel in Powder Metallurgy Gears

Low alloy steel powders are utilized in the manufacturing of automotive gear applications, limited to low load capacity due to the presence of pores and low density affecting the materials used in gears. The concept of alloying for sintered low alloy steels is necessary in powder metallurgy gears, involving alloy elements with good mechanical properties. In this study, the review is focused on the impact of varying alloy elements like carbon (C), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) on the mechanical properties including hardness, tensile strength and contact fatigue strength of low alloy steel powder metallurgy gear. Alloying low alloy steel powder metallurgy materials with C, Ni, Cu, and Cr has a beneficial effect on mechanical properties in powder metallurgy and helps in modeling and optimizing compositions to achieve the desired mechanical properties within a range of 0.3 to 0.8 wt% for C, 1 to 2 wt% for Cu, 1 to 4 wt% for Ni and 1.5 to 3 wt% for Cr.