Investigations carried out referred to obtaining material based on the high-speed steel and
non-alloy steel. The conventional powder metallurgy method was used for manufacturing these
materials, consisting in compacting the powder in the closed die and sintering it next, the isostatic
pressing method, and the modern pressureless forming powder metallurgy. Forming methods were
developed during the investigations for high-speed and non-alloy steel powders, making it possible
to obtain materials with three layers in their structure. Investigations included determining the
sintering conditions, and especially the temperature and treatment cycle, as well as examining the
selected mechanical properties. It was found out, basing on the comparison of structures and
properties of test pieces made with the pressureless forming method, as well as with the isostatic
pressing and pressing in the closed die, with further sintering, that in structures of all examined test
pieces in the sintered state fine carbides occurred distributed homogeneously in the high-speed steel
layer. It was noticed, that increase of the sintering temperature, regardless of the manufacturing
method, results in the uncontrolled growth and coagulation of the primary carbides and melting up
to forming of eutectics in layers consisting of the high-speed steel. It was found out basing on the
microhardness tests that hardness of test pieces both those pressureless formed, compacted in the
closed die, and isostatically cold pressed and sintered grows along with the sintering temperature. It
was also noted that the sintering temperature range is bigger in case of the pressureless formed
materials.
High Speed Steel with Iron Addition Materials Sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering
