Elektronenstrahl‐Randschichtbehandlung für die Herstellung verschleißbeständiger Auftragschichten auf nichtrostenden Stählen

Stainless steel components exposed to mechanical stresses are subjected not only to corrosion, but to abrasive wear. There are several possibilities for enhancing the wear resistance of stainless steels; however, such processes are very often associated with a reduction in corrosion resistance. This paper presents an electron beam surface treatment technology to significantly improve the wear resistance of austenitic steels (e.g. X6CrNiMoTi17‐12‐2) and duplex steels (e.g. X2CrNiMoN22‐5‐3), without a negative influence on the corrosion behavior. Fe‐ and Co‐additive wires were deposited thermally by electron beam cladding. The cladding layers produced were free of defects such as cracks and pores, and were well metallurgical bonded to the base materials. Microstructural analysis, hardness measurements, wear tests and corrosion tests were carried out. The wear rate k was reduced by a factor of 100 compared to the base materials for electron beam cladding with Fe‐based wire and by a factor of 10 with Co‐based wire. Corrosion resistance was preserved for the Fe‐based cladding layers and slightly increased (by a factor of 3) for the Co‐based cladding layers.     

Grundlagen,Herstellung und Anwendungsaspekte des Supersolidus Flüssigphasensinterns von hochlegierten Werkzeugstählen und Metallmatrix‐Verbundwerkstoffen

Principles, manufacturing and application aspects of super solidus liquid phase sintering of high‐alloyed tool steels and metal matrix composites Iron‐based metal matrix composites (MMC) are applied for abrasive wear resistant applications. A common production route uses hot isostatic pressing (HIP) of metal and carbide powders, a comparatively cost intensive process. Using high‐alloyed tool steels as matrix materials it is possible to obtain dense materials by liquid phase sintering with an internally formed liquid phase. This contribution describes the basic principles of densification of the matrix materials taking thermodynamic calculations into consideration. It points out a production route for processing particulate reinforced, high wear resistant composite materials by sintering. Beside the sintering behaviour concepts for heat treatment as well as the abrasive wear resistance are discussed.     

Rezyklieren von metallischen Spänen mittels Electro‐Discharge Sintering

Composite material Ferro‐Titanit^® is produced powder‐metallurgical by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke GmbH (DEW) and is commonly used for wear and corrosion resistant component parts. Materials properties can be attributed to the microstructure which consists of a corrosion resistant metallic matrix and a huge amount of approx. 50 vol.% of hard Ti‐monocarbides. Although Ferro‐Titanit^® possesses a high amount of hard particles, the material can be machined by turning and drilling in solution annealed condition. Due to the alloying content (Mo, Cr, TiC) of Ferro‐Titanit^®, there is a high motivation to recover those elements by a recycling process of the chips, thus expensive and limited resources can be saved. On idea of a recycling process can be found in the redensification of those chips by electro discharge sintering (EDS). In this work, chips of the material Ferro‐Titanit^® were densified by EDS technique and the resulting microstructure was investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, microstructure and hardness of the EDS densified specimens was discussed with regard to the microstructure of conventionally sintered Ferro‐Titanit^®‐samples in laboratory conditions.     

Nanophase hardfaced coatings

This paper demonstrates the possibility of producing iron or chromium‐based nanophase hardfaced coatings by means of common arc welding methods (TIG, PTA). The appropriate composition of the alloys to be deposited allows to control the structural properties and thus also the coating properties of the weld metal. Specific variations of the alloying elements allow also the realisation of a nanostructured solidification of the carbides and borides with cooling rates that are common for arc surfacing processes. The hardfaced coatings, which had been thus produced, showed phase dimensions of approximately 100–300 nm. Based on the results it is established that the influence of the surfacing parameters and of the coating thickness and thus the influence of the heat control on the nanostructuring process is, compared with the influence of the alloy composition, of secondary importance. The generation of nanoscale structures in hardfaced coatings allows the improvement of mechanical properties, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Potential applications for these types of hardfaced coatings lie, in particular, in the field of cutting tools that are exposed to corrosion and wear.     

Nanophase hardfaced coatings

This paper demonstrates the possibility of producing iron‐ or chromium‐based nanophase hardfaced coatings by means of common arc welding methods (TIG, PTA). The appropriate composition of the alloys to be deposited allows to control the structural properties and thus also the coating properties of the weld metal. Specific variations of the alloying elements allow also the realisation of a nanostructured solidification of the carbides and borides with cooling rates that are common for arc surfacing processes. The hardfaced coatings, which had been thus produced, showed phase dimensions of approximately 100–300 nm. Based on the results it is established that the influence of the surfacing parameters and of the coating thickness and thus the influence of the heat control on the nanostructuring process is, compared with the influence of the alloy composition, of secondary importance. The generation of nanoscale structures in hardfaced coatings allows the improvement of mechanical properties, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Potential applications for these types of hardfaced coatings lie, in particular, in the field of cutting tools that are exposed to corrosion and wear.     

Verschleißbeständige Fe‐Basislegierungen mit Niobkarbid

Wear Resistant Fe‐Base Alloys with Niobium Carbide Martensitic Fe‐base alloys from the system Fe‐Cr‐C are widely used as chilled cast irons and tool steels. Because of the low hardness of their FeCr‐carbides this paper reports about new alloys with primarily solidified harder niobium carbides. It focuses on a secondary hardenable welding alloy, a coating material for composite castings, a chilled casting and a corrosion resistant cold work tool steel, which are investigated with respect to their process related microstructure and abrasive wear behaviour.     

Entwicklung hochverschleißbeständiger wolframschmelzkarbidbasierter Schichten auf Aluminiumbauteilen durch Plasma‐Pulver‐Auftragschweißen

Development of high wear‐resistant FTC‐based coatings on aluminium components using plasma transferred arc welding Nowadays, functional surfaces of components can be effectively protected from extreme wear with the help of fused tungsten carbide (FTC) coatings. The wear protection of steel components using FTC has been well known for many years. This paper presents the feasible study of improving the wear resistance of aluminium components with FTC particles using plasma powder arc welding. The FTC coatings are developed with two methods: one is the dispersion of carbide particles in aluminium and the other one is the combination of dispersing and alloying of FTC‐based composite powders. In this research, coatings within a thickness range of a few millimeters are developed with varying process parameters and compositions of the filler materials. The developed coating systems are tested with regard to their specific properties and their wear resistance. Finally, their application potential is presented.     

Herstellung und Untersuchung des Verschleißverhaltens von induktiv eingeschmolzenen Hardpaint‐Schutzschichten

Friction and wear processes generate significant economic damage annually in industrial production due to maintenance and repair costs as well as loss associated with production downtime. Wear‐resistant coatings are a measure for reducing wear. In this context, the novel hardpaint technology for coating of parts with a fusible metal powder composition is described. Components with complex geometries as well holes or undercuts can be coated easily and inexpensively. Two protective layers are discussed and characterized in terms of their microstructure. Density measurements, hardness tests and scanning electron microscopic investigations were carried out. Both powder layers were inductively melted after application and are based on a hard alloy (iron‐based) commonly used for plasma transferred arc powder surfacing. Abrasion wear resistance is evaluated based on the results of the wear tests and microstructural investigations. Furthermore the results are discussed in comparison to a martensitic fine‐grain steel (Hardox 450), which is commonly used in abrasively stressed areas. Compared to Hardox 450 both hardpaint coatings have a much more wear‐resistant behavior due to their hard phases. In addition, it was confirmed that the hardpaint technology is able to embed thermally sensitive fused tungsten carbides which are significantly increasing the wear resistance against abrasion.     

Development of Wear and Corrosion Resistant Metal Matrix Composites with hard Particles formed in Situ

Metal matrix composites (MMC) were developed, consisting of hardenable steel matrices and embedded particles of titanium nitride (TiN) or vanadium nitride (VN) formed in situ during the consolidation by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Designing wear and corrosion resistant materials was the objective of this development. The materials were produced by means of powder metallurgy and are composed of a ferrritic stainless steel powder X4CrMo15–1 and crushed particles of ferro titanium or ferro vanadium, respectively. These powder mixtures were first heat treated in an N₂‐atmosphere for alloying with nitrogen and subsequently consolidated to wear resistant MMC by HIP. This publication describes the necessary processing steps, taking into account thermodynamic equilibrium calculations with Thermo‐Calc.     

Synthesis and characterization of functionally graded nickel‐nickel coated ZrO2 composite coating

Electroless‐nickel plated ZrO₂ (NCZ) particles have been used to produce a functionally graded nickel‐electroless‐nickel plated ZrO₂ composite coating. So, electroless‐nickel plated ZrO₂ particles concentration was continuously increased from 0 to an optimum value in the electroplating bath (Watt's bath). The substrate was ST37 steel and the thickness of the coating was approximately 50 μm. Also a uniformly distributed nickel‐electroless‐nickel plated ZrO₂ composite coating has been manufactured as comparison. The composite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Structure and phase composition were identified by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Microhardness of the coatings was evaluated by employing a Vickers instrument. Three‐point bend test was carried out to compare the adhesion strength of the coatings. Dry sliding wear tests were performed using a pin‐on‐disk wear apparatus. The electrochemical behavior of the coatings was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The microhardness measurements showed that, with increasing the co‐electrodeposited electroless‐nickel plated ZrO₂ particle content in the nickel matrix, the microhardness increases from interface towards the surface of the functionally graded composite coating. Bend, wear and electrochemical test results confirmed that the functionally graded composite coating has higher adhesion, wear resistance and corrosion resistance as compared with the uniformly distributed coating. This has been attributed to lower mechanical mismatch between coating and substrate in functionally graded composite coating with respect to the uniformly distributed one.     

Influence of electron beam deflection techniques used during the cladding process on the wear and corrosion behaviour of cobalt‐based protective coatings on austenitic stainless steel

The present work aims to improve the wear resistance of the austenitic stainless steel X6CrNiMoTi17‐12‐2. In view of the potential use of this alloy, however, corrosion resistance should be maintained where possible. An electron beam surface treatment (cladding) was performed, and the cobalt‐based alloy Stellite® 12 was used as the wear‐resistant material. The presented results show the effects of several electron beam oscillation figures during the cladding process with regard to layer bonding, microstructure formation and hardness. The surface hardness achieved was 576±18 HV 0.3, almost three times higher than that of the base material (203±3 HV 0.3). The scratch energy density – which represents the resistance to abrasive wear – could be increased by a factor of 1.5. Under abrasive‐adhesive stress loading conditions, the determined wear volume decreased by a factor of almost 5. Based on the corrosion investigations carried out, it was possible to prove that in comparison to the base material, the tendency towards pitting corrosion could be almost completely suppressed.     

Erosions‐Korrosions‐Untersuchungen an gradierten Multilayer‐Chromkarbidschichten

Erosion corrosion of graded chromium carbide coatings in multi layer structure So far PVD‐ and PECVD‐Layers have proved their value as wear protection mainly on cutting tools for machining. Depending on the composition of the layers not only a reduction in wear but also a reduction in friction is possible, e.g. by integration of hydrogen containing carbon. Furthermore such carbon containing layers use to be electrochemically inert. Thus they don’t corrode in aqueous media. Because they do also have a very dense structure, an application as corrosion protection seems to be promising. For the intended investigations under service‐like erosiv‐corrosiv loading a new testing rig was developed and constructed. The erosiv‐corrosiv loading was achieved by exposure of coated specimen to a flowing medium, that contains abrasive corund‐particles. Thus the erosion‐corrosion‐behaviour of new graded Multilayer‐Chromiumcarbide‐Coatings should be investigated. The aim was to identify the mechanisms of deterioration to promote a further developement of these layers. In addition the potential of PVD/PECVD‐coated low‐alloy steel to be in‐service under such conditions should be evaluated. For comparison an up‐to‐date industrial DLC‐coating and a high‐alloy duplex‐steel were also investigated. As a result of the conducted investigations an application of PVD‐/PECVD‐coated low‐alloy steel under erosive‐corrosive conditions with impingement wear could not yet be recommended. However the graded Multilayer‐Chromiumcarbide‐Coatings have the potential for a good erosion‐corrosion‐protection, if erosion promoting flaws are avoided. Because hard PVD‐ and PECVD‐coatings are relative brittle, a loading with hard particles, which hit the surface under a high angle, is very tough. Hence the question is, if the investigated layers possibly have a better wear behaviour under more abrasive loading in a more tangential flowing medium, which is also typical for in‐service‐conditions. This is intended to be investigated in future tests.     

Strangpressen von verschleißbeständigen Fe‐Basis MMC

Hot extrusion of wear resistant Fe‐base metal matrix composites (MMC) Increasing demands on technical surfaces, i.e. thermal load, corrosion or wear, often prompt the development of tailored materials or coatings. In highly abrasive environments the progress in powder metallurgy has lead to the production of highly wear‐resistant materials based on metal‐matrix composites (MMC). Such materials are produced from a metal matrix (MM) based on Fe, Ni or Co and additional hard phases (HP), such as carbides, nitrides, borides or oxides. Moreover, powder metallurgical techniques can be used to adapt the particle size, the distribution and the content of the hard phases to the wear system on a large scale. HIP cladding is an established method of producing such MMC, but due to its near net shape capsule technique it is quite expensive. Because of this reason hot direct extrusion of capsules filled with powder blends was researched in a DFG‐Project as a method of producing long cylindrical products. Aiming at a high abrasive wear resistance, powder blends of hardenable steels with additions of fused tungsten carbide (WSC) or titanium carbides (TiC) were used. The extruded MMC were investigated with respect to their densification and microstructure, their bending strength and their wear resistance.     

Mechanical properties of co‐extruded wear resistant powder metallurgical layers on steel substrates

Materials with high resistance against abrasive wear are of interest for many tool applications. For economical reasons, thick coatings of several millimetres are requested. The cladding of these materials to low alloyed substrates is commonly performed using hot isostatic pressing, being a cost intensive process in particular for long products. Thus, a novel manufacturing route via direct hot extrusion of encapsulated bulk steel bars and presintered tool steel powders was recently developed. In this manner, wear resistant claddings of PM tool steels and wear resistant MMC on steel substrates could be processed. Heating to process temperature leads to presintering of the powder and only a weak bonding between the steel substrate and the powdery layer. However, after direct hot extrusion at 1150 °C an interface free of macroscopic defects is formed between both materials. The quality and strength of this bond zone was investigated by micro tensile, 4 point bending and shear tests for different materials combinations. For high strength substrate materials, failure always occurs in the brittle wear resistant layer and not at the interface. These results are in agreement with microstructural investigations, exhibiting a pore‐ and defect‐free interface dominated by interdiffusion processes.     

Investigation of wear resistance and microstructure of a newly developed chromium and vanadium containing iron‐based hardfacing alloy

Plasma transferred arc (PTA) welded Ni and Co‐based alloys have gained high acceptance in many industrial applications for the wear protection of components. Recently, the cost of nickel and cobalt is rising drastically. This paper presents the development of a cost‐effective high chromium and vanadium containing iron‐based hardfacing alloy with high hardness and wear resistance. The welding processing of the alloy is carried out by PTA welding of atomized powders. Investigations on powder production as well as on weldability are presented. The coatings are metallographically studied by optical microscopy, SEM, EDX and micro‐hardness measurements. The wear resistance properties of the coatings are examined using pin on disk, dry sand rubber wheel and Miller testing, the corrosion properties are determined by immersion corrosion tests. The newly developed iron‐based alloy has nearly the same wear resistance as Ni‐based alloys with fused tungsten carbides at a higher level of corrosion resistance and much lower cost.     

Correlation of processing route and heat treatment with the abrasive wear resistance of a plastic mold steel

The processing of polymers necessitates the use of corrosion and wear resistant tool materials being in direct contact with the feedstock material. Corrosion resistant cold work tool steels, the so called plastic mold steels, are successfully applied here, offering both a good wear and corrosion resistance. The lifetime of this tool depends on the applied heat treatment but also the processing route has a distinct effect on the resulting properties. In this work, different powder metallurgical routes like hot isostatic pressing, build‐up welding (plasma transfer arc (PTA)) and thermal spraying (high velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS)) were applied to produce coatings on low‐alloyed construction steel. Coatings are compared in relation to the changes in microstructure and the feasibility of an adequate heat treatment. This paper discusses strategies to maximize wear resistance in dependence of heat treatment and the microstructural changes arising from the processing.     

Elektrodenauswahl für das WIG‐Unterwasser‐Schweißen

Selection of electrode for GTA‐Underwater Welding Reproducible good weld quality and economical benefit of underwater‐welding require a complete automation. For this purpose Gas Tungsten Arc‐welding (GTA or TIG) offers numerous advantages, especially for the root and the following hot pass run. Disadvantages of GTA‐welding are the low weld deposit rate and the limited lifetime of the tungsten electrode. Already small wear damages cause wide alterations of the arc under high surrounding pressure, so that a suited choice of the electrode enables to increase the productivity considerably. Therefore the influence of the electrode features on welding process, arc stability, arc ignition, weld geometry and electrode wear has been investigated. For quick and elementary selection of electrode an assessment catalogue was elaborated.     

Mikrostruktur‐Untersuchungen zum Schwingungsverschleißverhalten von Nickelkomposit‐ und Ni‐P‐Schichten

Microstructural and oscillating sliding wear studies of nickel composites and electroless Ni‐P layers In many industrial applications, oscillating sliding wear leads to serious damage of construction components. To avoid this, different layers of electroplated nickel and nickel composites as well as chemically deposited nickel phosphorus layers are used and/or tested. The performance of these layers under oscillating sliding wear was characterized. Additionally microstructure characterisations took place regarding grain size, particle content and distribution as well as concerning crystallization and development of tetragonal phase nickel phosphide. These results correlate well with the Martens hardness of the layers and contribute to understand the oscillating sliding wear characteristics of the examined layers. Heat treated Ni‐P layers achieve twice the hardness of nickel dispersion layers; however, fail under oscillating sliding stress by embrittlement, cracking and debonding. On the other hand dispersion‐hardening nano composites with TiO₂ clearly exhibit a more favourable tribological behaviour. A solid content of approx. 3 vol‐% leads to dispersion and fine grain hardening effects, which cause good protection against oscillating sliding wear; thereby the Ni‐matrix remains ductile. The incorporation of very hard particles (SiC) intensifies the oscillating sliding wear process due to the abrasive effect of the particles.     

Eigenschaften langzeitgealterter,artgleicher Schweißnähte der Ni‐Basislegierung alloy 602 CA

Properties of long‐time aged matching joints of Ni‐base alloy 602 CA The paper presents results about the influence of a 2‐year exposure in the production process of ammonia synthesis on the microstructure and the mechano‐technological properties of matching TIG‐ and e‐manual welds of the high‐temperature resistant Ni‐based alloy 602 CA (NiCr25FeAlY, Material‐No. 2.4633 / UNS N 06025). These results show, that Ni‐base alloy 602 CA possesses a very good resistance against metal dusting. Furthermore typical metallurgical characteristics of the welding process of this extremely hot‐crack sensitive alloy are presented and recommendations for a hot‐crack safe manufacturing of components made of this alloy are given.     

Verschleißreduzierung an Matrizen für das Präzisionsschmieden von Zahnrädern durch Mehrlagenhartstoffbeschichtung (TiN‐TiCN‐TiC)

Wear reduction on dies for precision forging of gear wheels by means of multi‐layer coating (TiN‐TiCN‐TiC) Due to high thermal, mechanical and tribological loads the tool life quantity of hot forging dies compared to other manufacturing processes is relatively low. Depending on the number of forged parts the mentioned loads lead to different failure causes of the dies. In this connection wear is the main failure cause of hot forging dies. Especially in the precision forging process of gear wheels with its exacting tolerances the tool life quantity is low, which leads to often interruptions of the production process. Because wear concentrates on the near‐surface die areas, these problems can be reduced by increasing the wear resistance of these areas by the Duplex PACVD‐Method, which means nitriding and multi‐layer coating (TiN‐TiCN‐TiC).