Manufacture of Stainless Steel Powder

According to Hardy (i) first Stainless Steel powder made by blending and diffusing elemental metal powders of high purity. He reported (ii) that Stainless Steel parts were being commercially made, especially in Europe by synthesizing the alloy from pure metals (Iron powder, Nickel powder and Chromium powder).There is a patented (iii) claim for a process of making stainless metal composition. The process comprises sintering in a non-oxidising atmosphere, at a temperature above 900 deg.c. but not above 1200 deg.c. of a compressed mixture (compressed at a pressure of 20,000 1bs/sq.in.) of finely divided (amount all minus 200 mesh) clean powder of iron, Chromium and Nickel in the respective percentages of 74,18 and 8.But this diffusion process either for commercially making the metal or for the alloy powder is not recommended by Wulff (iv) as also by Geotzel (v)for reasons following. The process involves longtimes and high sintering temperatures.