Process for the preparation of an iron-based powder

Abstract

The invention concerns a process for producing a low-oxygen, low-carbon iron-based powder. The process comprises the steps of preparing a powder essentially consisting of iron and optionally at least one alloying element selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, copper, nickel, vanadium, niobium, boron, silicon, molybdenum, tungsten, decarburizing the powder in an atmosphere containing at least H.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O gases, measuring the concentration of at least one of the carbon oxides (alternatively gases) formed during the decarburisation process, or measuring the oxygen potential in at least 2 points located at a predetermined distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the furnace, adjusting the content of the H.sub.2 O gas in the decarburizing atmosphere with the aid of the measurement. Another alternative concerns measuring the carbon oxides in combination with measuring the oxygen potential.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.