Iron Powder
Bulk metallic addition for electrode coatings, flux cored wires and PM components.
Iron powder does two jobs. In welding consumables it is added to the coating or the fill to raise deposition rate — high-recovery electrodes owe their productivity to it. In powder metallurgy it is simply the base material from which the majority of PM parts are pressed.
Both applications depend on consistent particle size and shape, which is what our grinding and screening is set up to deliver.
Forms & grades supplied
- Powder
- Screened to your agreed size range
- PM and welding grades
Industries served
Ask us for
- Chemical specification and test certificate
- Particle size / mesh range
- Packing options and lead time
- A sample for trial
Standard grades
The grades below are the standard specifications this material is traded to. We supply against your specification — tell us the grade and we will confirm what we can hold.
| Grade | Nominal mesh | Apparent density (g/cc), nominal | Fe | C | S | P | Mn | Si | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.29 | −40 mesh | 2.9 | 99.00 min | 0.050 max | 0.030 max | 0.030 max | 0.20 max | 0.050 max | 0.050 max |
| 40.37 | −40 mesh | 3.7 | 99.00 min | 0.050 max | 0.030 max | 0.030 max | 0.20 max | 0.050 max | 0.050 max |
| 60.29 | −60 mesh | 2.9 | 99.00 min | 0.050 max | 0.030 max | 0.030 max | 0.20 max | 0.050 max | 0.050 max |
| 100.25 | −100 mesh | 2.5 | 99.00 min | 0.050 max | 0.030 max | 0.030 max | 0.20 max | 0.050 max | 0.050 max |
| 100.29 | −100 mesh | 2.9 | 99.00 min | 0.050 max | 0.030 max | 0.030 max | 0.20 max | 0.050 max | 0.050 max |
| Electrolytic | — | — | Balance | 0.02 max | 0.02 max | 0.02 max | — | — | — |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column
Reading the grade name. The digits before the point are the nominal sieve and the digits after it are the apparent density: 40.37 is a −40 mesh powder at 3.7 g/cc, 100.25 is −100 mesh at 2.5 g/cc. Apparent density is what decides behaviour in the press and in an electrode coating, which is why it is built into the name. Grade 40.29 is additionally specified on total oxygen (0.40% max); the others are specified on hydrogen loss (0.50% max) instead.
Please note. These are indicative industry-standard ranges shown for guidance. Where a grade name encodes a nominal sieve or density, that is what the designation means in the trade — the size range actually supplied, and the packing, are set to your requirement and confirmed on your order. The binding specification for any order is the one on your purchase order and the test certificate supplied with the consignment — see how we test and certify a lot. Ask us for a datasheet for the exact grade you need.
Mesh and micron
Size is specified separately from chemistry, and it is usually the figure that decides whether a powder works in your process. We grind and screen to the range on your order — tell us the mesh you need.
What a mesh number means
Mesh counts the openings per linear inch of the test sieve, so a higher number is a finer powder. “−100 mesh” means the material passes a 100 mesh sieve — nominally 150 micron. These apertures are the published ASTM E11 / ISO 3310-1 standard.
- 20 mesh
- 850 µm
- 30 mesh
- 600 µm
- 40 mesh
- 425 µm
- 50 mesh
- 300 µm
- 60 mesh
- 250 µm
- 80 mesh
- 180 µm
- 100 mesh
- 150 µm
- 120 mesh
- 125 µm
- 140 mesh
- 106 µm
- 170 mesh
- 90 µm
- 200 mesh
- 75 µm
- 230 mesh
- 63 µm
- 270 mesh
- 53 µm
- 325 mesh
- 45 µm
- 400 mesh
- 38 µm
Where each band is used
General guidance on the ranges these industries work in, useful if you are specifying a powder for the first time. It describes the trade, not our production.
| Application | Typical band | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Welding electrode coatings and flux | 20 – 100 mesh | Coarser powders, blended into the coating slurry. |
| Powder metallurgy — pressing and sintering | 60 – 200 mesh | Iron and copper powders for pressed parts; apparent density matters as much as size. |
| Thermal spray and hardfacing | 100 – 325 mesh | Tighter distributions, since feed behaviour depends on it. |
| Metal injection moulding and additive | 170 – 400 mesh | The finest bands, with close control of the distribution at both ends. |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column
Our standard range for Iron Powder: to be confirmed — ask us and we will confirm what we hold and what we can grind to.
A note on the figures above. The sieve apertures are an exact published standard. The application bands are general industry guidance and are not a statement of what we supply — our own standard range is the line marked above, and it is confirmed against your order rather than read off a chart. Ask us for the size range you need.
Where Iron Powder is used
- High-recovery iron powder electrodes
- Flux cored wire fill and SAW fluxes
- Powder metallurgy components
- Friction and brake materials
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