WEAR STUDY OF CARBIDE REINFORCED P/M FERROUS ALLOYS

摘要

Ferrous alloys have been used for decades as wear resistant materials for applications where severe wear (primarily abrasion) has been a problem. Irons and steels have an advantage in these applications because they can be alloyed with various elements to create matrix and carbide structures which are quite a bit harder than the iron matrix by itself. For example, martensitic matrices can be developed as well as complex carbide structures (consisting usually of Cr-, Nb-, or V-based carbides or some other combination of carbide structures). However, these alloys are usually made through melt/solidification (M/S) techniques which can sometimes limit the type, volume fraction, and morphology of the carbide. In powder metallurgy (P/M) processing, these limitations can in many instances be ignored. This paper will discuss the abrasive and impact-abrasive wear behavior of one class of wear resistant materials that have been developed using TiC as the reinforcing phase. The microstructures of these materials will be discussed in general terms, especially with respect to their affect on the wear process. The wear process will be described as will the material removal mechanisms. The results of the wear tests on these composites will be compared to traditional carbide reinforced ferrous-based alloys and composites, both P/M and M/S in nature.