Fe-Zn intermetallic phases prepared by diffusion annealing and spark-plasma sintering

The feasibility of iron-zinc intermetallic-phase preparation by spark-plasma sintering (SPS) was investigated.The samples were prepared with a combination of powder metallurgy, where the powder was prepared in evacuated quartz tubes, and a sintering process using SPS.Since the Fe-Zn intermetallic phases are mostly used for hot-dip galvanized steels, the knowledge of the properties of individual intermetallic phases is vital for a better understanding and even further optimization of galvanization processes.The main aim of the article is to compare the phase composition of the initial powder with the SPS samples using X-ray diffraction.Furthermore, the hardness and microstructure were investigated as well.