The Core Position of Ferroalloys in the Steel Industry

Ferroalloys serve as essential materials for steel manufacturing because they provide steel with properties like high strength and temperature resistance by performing deoxidation, desulfurization, and alloying functions. Powder metallurgy advancements have enabled more adaptable use of ferroalloy powders which now play a key role in manufacturing precision alloy steels. The controlled addition of nano-scale particles through powder metallurgy results in substantial improvements in grain refinement and steel mechanical properties.

Alloy Powders Products List

• High-Temperature Alloy Powders
• Stainless Steel Powders
• Precision Alloy Powders
• High-Entropy Alloy Powders
• Other Alloy Powders

Key Functions and Classification of Ferroalloy Powders

(1) Ferrochrome powder

Ferrochrome powder improves the corrosion resistance of stainless steel (such as 304 and 316L). Its typical composition is 16.47% Cr, 12.72% Ni and 2.44% Mo. It also enhances the hardness and oxidation resistance of wear-resistant steel. For example, iron-based alloy powder containing 26-31% Cr can replace high-priced cobalt/nickel-based alloys.

The self-reducing pelletizing technology of high-carbon ferrochrome and molybdenum oxide can simplify the steelmaking process and reduce energy consumption costs. Low-carbon ferrochrome powder can avoid the welding attenuation problem caused by carbon elements and is more suitable for precision equipment manufacturing.

(2) Ferromanganese powder

Ferromanganese powder is an efficient deoxidizer and desulfurizer, which improves the toughness and weldability of steel. It improves the strength of steel through solid solution strengthening, but the oxygen content needs to be controlled (such as the pre-mixing process to make the oxygen content ≤0.21%). The biodegradable stent prepared by powder metallurgy of Fe-Mn alloy powder has excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility.

(3) Ferro molybdenum powder

Ferro Molybdenum Powder improves the high temperature strength, creep resistance and corrosion resistance of tool steel, and the typical composition is Mo 3.5-5.5%;

Aluminum reduces molybdenum oxide and iron oxide, and the reaction is efficient but costly; carbonaceous reducing agents (such as coke) are used to reduce smelting losses and increase production capacity.

(4) Ferro vanadium powder

Ferro Vanadium Powder refines the grain structure and improves the strength and wear resistance of high-speed tool steel; wear resistance is further optimized through in-situ nitriding process (such as VN particles).

Ferro Vanadium containing impurities (such as aluminum and titanium) needs to be added in the early stage of steelmaking to promote the separation of inclusions.

Production Process and Technological Innovation of Ferroalloy Powder

Aluminothermic method: suitable for the production of alloys such as molybdenum iron and vanadium iron, with aluminum or silicon as reducing agent, efficient reaction but high energy consumption. For example, iron-niobium alloy is manufactured in an electric arc furnace by aluminum thermal reduction, and impurities need to be controlled to ensure the cleanliness of the steel.

Electrometallurgy: with electric arc furnace as the core, it is suitable for large-scale production of ferrochrome, ferromanganese, etc. DC arc furnace technology reduces energy consumption by optimizing thermal efficiency and arc management, but the process control is more difficult.

Pre-alloyed powder technology: Fe-Mo, Fe-Mn and other pre-alloyed powders are formed into homogeneous materials through hot isostatic pressing (HIP), which significantly improves performance stability. For example, HIP technology can prepare ceramic fiber reinforced iron-based composite materials, but the temperature and pressure need to be precisely controlled to avoid fiber damage.

Self-reduction pellet technology: alloying directly in molten steel, simplifying the process and reducing costs. Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) technology uses ferroalloy raw materials to synthesize high-nitrogen composite alloys (such as Fe-V-N) to improve the magnetic properties of steel.

Typical Applications of Ferroalloy Powder in High-end Steels

Tool steel and high-speed steel: Molybdenum iron and vanadium iron work together to achieve high hardness and red hardness through carbide strengthening. Steel-based composite materials with TiN or VN particles have a 40% increase in wear resistance and are suitable for extreme working conditions.

Stainless steel and corrosion-resistant steel: Chromium-iron alloys form a passivation film to provide basic protection, and molybdenum iron enhances pitting resistance. Studies have shown that when 430L stainless steel powder is added, 1.0% chromium content can make the tensile strength reach 924MPa, but excessive chromium leads to a decrease in ductility.

Biodegradable materials: Fe-Mn alloys are prepared by powder metallurgy, combining mechanical properties and MRI compatibility. After the premixing process is optimized, the manganese bonding rate exceeds 98% and the oxygen content is significantly reduced.

High-carbon stainless steel and low-cost alternatives: Fe-Si-Mn-Cr composite ferroalloys replace high-carbon ferrochrome, reducing raw material costs by 30%. Liquid phase sintering technology (such as Fe-0.85Mo-C-Si-Mn system) can achieve high strength and toughness, but the sintering temperature (1200–1250°C) needs to be precisely controlled.