A finish heat treatment apparatus for an iron powder. Raw iron powder is placed on a continuous moving hearth and continuously charged into the apparatus. In a pretreatment zone, the raw iron powder is subjected to a pretreatment of heating the raw iron powder in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas and/or inert gas at 450 to 1100° C. In decarburization, deoxidation, and denitrification zones, the pretreated iron powder is subsequently subjected to at least two treatments of decarburization, deoxidation, and denitrification. In the pretreatment zone, a hydrogen gas and/or an inert gas serving as a pretreatment ambient gas is introduced separately from an ambient gas used in the at least two treatments is introduced from the upstream side of the pretreatment zone and released from the downstream side so as to flow in the same direction as a moving direction of the moving hearth.

A finish heat treatment apparatus for an iron powder. Raw iron powder is placed on a continuous moving hearth and continuously charged into the apparatus. In a pretreatment zone, the raw iron powder is subjected to a pretreatment of heating the raw iron powder in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas and/or inert gas at 450 to 1100° C. In decarburization, deoxidation, and denitrification zones, the pretreated iron powder is subsequently subjected to at least two treatments of decarburization, deoxidation, and denitrification. In the pretreatment zone, a hydrogen gas and/or an inert gas serving as a pretreatment ambient gas is introduced separately from an ambient gas used in the at least two treatments is introduced from the upstream side of the pretreatment zone and released from the downstream side so as to flow in the same direction as a moving direction of the moving hearth.

Metal powder is compacted in a die to produce a preform having a preselected porosity with the metal powder containing iron and having a plurality of particles having a preselected particle sizes. The preform is carburized to produce a high carbon solution in the metal powder. The preform is contacted with an ammonia gas distillation solution to inject nitrogen therein. The preform is heat treated for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined pressure. The preform is quenched to form a metal part.

Metal powder is compacted in a die to produce a preform having a preselected porosity with the metal powder containing iron and having a plurality of particles having a preselected particle sizes. The preform is carburized to produce a high carbon solution in the metal powder. The preform is contacted with an ammonia gas distillation solution to inject nitrogen therein. The preform is heat treated for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined pressure. The preform is quenched to form a metal part.

A sintered material includes a composition composed of iron-based alloy, and a texture containing 200 or more and 1350 or less of compound particles having a size of 0.3 μm or more per unit area of 100 μm×100 μm in a cross section, and a relative density is 93% or more.

A sintered material includes a composition composed of iron-based alloy, and a texture containing 200 or more and 1350 or less of compound particles having a size of 0.3 μm or more per unit area of 100 μm×100 μm in a cross section, and a relative density is 93% or more.

A method of additive manufacturing metallic components, the method includes: forming a component in a layer by layer process, the component being formed integrally with at least one non-perforated support structure to be separated from the component after the layer by layer process, the support structure being formed with at least one wall that is non-perforated; and wherein after completion of the layer by layer process, the method includes exposing the component and support structure to at least one thermal pulse so as to weaken, or break, the interface(s) between the support structure and component prior to removal of the support.

A method of additive manufacturing metallic components, the method includes: forming a component in a layer by layer process, the component being formed integrally with at least one non-perforated support structure to be separated from the component after the layer by layer process, the support structure being formed with at least one wall that is non-perforated; and wherein after completion of the layer by layer process, the method includes exposing the component and support structure to at least one thermal pulse so as to weaken, or break, the interface(s) between the support structure and component prior to removal of the support.

A method of additive manufacturing metallic components, the method includes: forming a component in a layer by layer process, the component being formed integrally with at least one non-perforated support structure to be separated from the component after the layer by layer process, the support structure being formed with at least one wall that is non-perforated; and wherein after completion of the layer by layer process, the method includes exposing the component and support structure to at least one thermal pulse so as to weaken, or break, the interface(s) between the support structure and component prior to removal of the support.

A method of additive manufacturing metallic components, the method includes: forming a component in a layer by layer process, the component being formed integrally with at least one non-perforated support structure to be separated from the component after the layer by layer process, the support structure being formed with at least one wall that is non-perforated; and wherein after completion of the layer by layer process, the method includes exposing the component and support structure to at least one thermal pulse so as to weaken, or break, the interface(s) between the support structure and component prior to removal of the support.