Investigation of the Microstructure and Wear Behavior of In-Situ High Chromium Steel/TiC Composites

This study deals with the processing, microstructure, and wear behavior of low volume fractions of TiC reinforced high chromium steel matrix composites. Composite processing was performed in a high frequency induction furnace while mechanical stirring assisted uniform dispersion of second phase particles into the molten steel. The in-situ melting of 70Cr2 steel and ferrotitanium (Fe-70%Ti) caused reaction between carbon and titanium which produced titanium carbide particles within the melt. Type and amount of matrix phases, shape, size, and distribution of the secondary phase were recognized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscope (OM) equipped with image analyzer, micro hardness and quantometry. The density of the samples was measured by the Archimedes’s method and the wear behavior of the unreinforced 70Cr2 alloy and composite samples were investigated using a pin-on-disc test at room temperature under dry conditions.The result revealed that these composites can be produced successfully by this technique and low volume fractions of TiC particles are distributed uniformly in the steel matrix phase. Also it has been found that with the fabrication of low volume fraction of TiC particles in the high chromium steel matrix the hardness and wear resistance of the composite significantly increased.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fe-TiC composite ، In situ ، 70Cr2 steel ، Microstructure and Wear Behavior