Spray-Formed Stainless Steel Matrix Composites with Co-Injected Carbide Particles

摘要

In order to develop new types of wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials, TiC and VC particles were injected into martensitic stainless steel X46Cr13 during spray forming, respectively. The microstructures of the spray-formed steel matrix composites under different processing conditions were investigated. The mechanisms of interactions between the injected particles and the matrix materials during spray forming and their effects on the microstructures of the composites were discussed and clarified based on experimental and theoretical investigations. The current results show that the injected particles may penetrate into the metallic droplets or adhere to the surface of the droplets and, therefore, are incorporated into the deposits to form metal matrix composites. Substantial heat transfer from superheated metallic melts to the room temperature carbide particles takes place as they are incorporated into the matrix material. The matrix steel solidifies in the vicinity of the carbides due to their chilling effect, and thus, the carbides may be engulfed in the matrix or pushed to the grain boundaries by the solidification fronts. TiC particles essentially retain their shape and size in the steel composites, while VC particles dissolve at least partially in the matrix and reprecipitate or form new phases in the final solidification and cooling stage. The porosity in the deposits increases with the gas to melt ratio (GMR) and the powder to melt ratio (PMR) by increasing atomizing gas pressure and powder feeding rate. Carbide type also affects the porosity of the deposits, because different thermodynamic properties of carbides change the heat dissipation and local solidification behavior of the mixture of matrix material and dissolved carbides. Moreover, the microstructure of the matrix material X46Cr13 is refined considerably with increasing GMR and PMR.