Höganäs and GKN put 1.5 to 2% copper in iron. We put 15 to 30%.
The European and American iron powder majors optimise Fe-Cu for structural PM at low copper. Our Fe-Cu grades are built for diamond tooling and high-density parts, which is a different design point, not a better version of the same one.
The Fe-Cu grades are in production supply to diamond tool makers and P/M part makers, with a high-purity AFFE iron powder alongside them, under an ISO 9001:2015 system.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratIron–copper alloy powders | Höganäs ABDistaloy AB diffusion-alloyed powder and iron powder grades12Sweden | GKN Powder Metallurgy (Hoeganaes)Ancorsteel diffusion-alloyed and Ancorbond premixes3United States | Pometon S.p.A.FerAlloy CU10 diffusion-bonded and PMX ferrous premixes4Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper content134Different design point: theirs is structural steel PM, ours is diamond tooling and high-density parts. | Fe-Cu 70/30, 80/20 and 85/15, so 15 to 30% Cu | Distaloy AB: copper 1.50%, nickel 1.75%, molybdenum 0.50% | Diffusion alloyed and Ancorbond premixes at copper 0.50, 1.50 or 2.00% nominal | FerAlloy CU10 named as a diffusion-bonded family; copper content not published |
| Iron purity grade offered234 | AFFE iron powder at 98.5% min Fe | Sponge grades NC100.24, SC100.26, MH80.23 and atomised AHC100.29, ASC100.29, ABC100.30; purity not stated as a percentage | Ancorsteel 1000, 1000B and 1000C atomised iron; 1000C stated as the highest compressibility iron powder available | Water atomised and reduced iron powders described as high purity; no figure published |
| Alloying method134 | Alloy powders at fixed Fe-Cu ratios | Diffusion alloying, with copper and nickel bonded to the iron particle to limit segregation | ANCORBOND chemical bonding of premixes to reduce additive segregation; diffusion alloyed grades | Diffusion bonding to maintain compressibility, flowability and homogeneity; mixing and homogenisation for premixes |
| Particle size1 | -325 mesh (45 µm) | Distaloy AB sieve analysis: 0% above 212 µm, 7% above 150 µm, 25% below 45 µm | Not published in this brochure | Not published |
| Apparent density12 | Not published | Distaloy AB 3.05 g/cm³; iron grades 2.30 to 3.02 g/cm³ | Not published in this brochure | Not published |
| Oxygen limit13Höganäs publishes a far lower oxygen figure, consistent with a structural steel powder rather than a tooling blend. | 0.5% max | Distaloy AB total oxygen 0.1% | Ancorsteel 1000 stated as low in carbon and oxygen; no figure published | Not published |
| Compaction and sintered data published13 | Not published | Distaloy AB green density 7.17 g/cm³ at 600 MPa with Kenolube; green strength 33 MPa at 600 MPa; full compressibility curve | Ancorsteel 1000C green density above 7.1 g/cm³ at 550 MPa; AncorMax premixes above 7.3 g/cm³ green and sintered | Not published |
| Target application134 | Diamond tools and high-density P/M components; machinability and dimensional stability | Structural technical parts in the sintered and heat-treated condition | Structural PM applications, sinter hardening, soft magnetic composites, sinterbrazing | Sintering of ferrous parts, welding, chemistry, magnetic detection, blasting |
| Quality system | ISO 9001:2015 | Not stated in these documents | Not stated in this brochure | Not stated on this page |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Two different products wearing the same name
Fe-Cu means one thing to a gearbox part maker and another to a diamond segment maker. Höganäs Distaloy AB carries 1.50% copper diffusion-bonded onto iron to raise strength without wrecking compressibility. Our 70/30 carries thirty per cent copper because the segment needs a copper-rich bond that sinters at a workable temperature and holds diamond. Comparing the two on copper percentage alone tells you nothing except that they were designed for different presses.
Where the majors are simply better documented
Höganäs publishes green density at three compaction pressures, green strength, springback, sieve analysis and apparent density for Distaloy AB. GKN publishes nominal chemistry across seventeen grade families and green density thresholds. We publish composition, mesh and an oxygen ceiling. If you are qualifying a structural part against MPIF designations, buy from them, and use our line for the tooling side.
One supplier across the blend range
The practical argument for our Fe-Cu grades is not that they beat Distaloy at Distaloy's job. It is that a diamond tool maker can take Fe-Cu 70/30, 80/20 and 85/15, an AFFE iron powder at 98.5% minimum, plus the copper, bronze, nickel and tin constituents of the same matrix, from one house under one quality system. That removes the blending variance that comes from mixing four suppliers' powders in one segment recipe.
Questions buyers ask
Is your Fe-Cu powder a substitute for Höganäs Distaloy?
No, and we will not pretend it is. Distaloy AB is a diffusion-alloyed structural powder at 1.50% copper with published compressibility curves and green strength, made for sintered technical parts. Our Fe-Cu grades run 15 to 30% copper for diamond tooling and high-density P/M parts. If your drawing calls for an MPIF structural designation, Höganäs or GKN is the right supplier. If you press diamond segments, the copper-rich blends are the relevant product.
What is the best iron-copper powder for diamond tool segments from a supplier outside the major blocs?
Our published range covers Fe-Cu 70/30, 80/20 and 85/15 at -325 mesh with oxygen held to 0.5% max, plus an AFFE iron powder at 98.5% minimum iron. The advantage over assembling the same recipe from several vendors is that the iron, copper, bronze, nickel and tin constituents come from one house under one ISO 9001:2015 system, so batch-to-batch variance in the matrix is one supplier's problem rather than four.
How do these suppliers compare on the data you get before you buy?
Höganäs and GKN publish more, clearly. Höganäs gives apparent density, sieve analysis, oxygen at 0.1%, green density at 400, 600 and 800 MPa and green strength for a single grade. Our sheet gives composition, mesh and an oxygen ceiling of 0.5% max. That is honest to state: their documentation is a competitive advantage, and ours is a gap we are closing.
Sources
- 1. Höganäs AB, Distaloy AB (product data sheet) (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-30
- 2. Höganäs AB, Iron and Steel Powders for Sintered Components (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-30
- 3. GKN Powder Metallurgy (Hoeganaes Corporation), Hoeganaes Products for Structural PM Applications (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-30
- 4. Pometon S.p.A., Iron and iron alloyed powdersRetrieved: 2026-07-30