Method for producing a sintered component and a sintered component

A sintered component produced according to a method for producing a stainless steel component comprising the steps of;

• providing a stainless steel powder consisting of the following composition:
• Cr 15-30 wt %
• Ni 5-25 wt %
• Si 0.5-3.5 wt %
• Mn 0-2 wt %
• S 0-0.6 wt %
• C 0.001-0.8 wt %
• N ≤1.3 wt %
• O ≤1.5 wt %
• optionally up to 3 wt % of each of the elements Mo, Cu, Nb, V, Ti and inevitable impurities up to 1 wt %,
• Fe balance,
• optionally agglomerating the stainless steel powder,
• optionally mixing with lubricants, hard-phase materials, machinability enhancing agents and graphite,
• optionally transforming the powder into a suitable paste or feedstock,
• consolidating the obtained paste, feedstock or granulated powder into a green component,
• heating the obtained green component in vacuum or in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas to a temperature of at least 1100° C.,
• sintering the green component at a temperature between 1150-1350° C. in an atmosphere of at least 20% nitrogen gas,
• cooling the sintered component at a cooling rate of at most 30 C/min from the sintering temperature to a temperature of 1100° C. in an atmosphere of at least 20% nitrogen gas to form M2(C, N) carbo-nitrides,
• cooling the sintered component from 1100° C. to ambient temperature at a cooling rate of at least 30 C/min and high enough to avoid excessive formation of M(C,N) carbo nitrides yielding a component having at least 12% by weight of Cr in the matrix.