Mechanical properties and features of erosion of cermets

The erosive wear resistance of cermets with different composition, structure and properties has been investigated. It has been shown that cermets erosive wear resistance cannot be estimated only by hardness, characterised by resistance to penetration. The differences in wear resistance between cermet materials with equal hardness level can be attributed to differences in their resistance to fracture. The present paper discusses some features of the material removal process during the particle–wall collision. Solid particle erosion tests on eight materials have been performed using silicon carbide and silica abrasive particles within a range of erodent size of 0.1–0.3 mm, impact angles from 30 to 90° and particle velocity from 30 to 80 m s⁻¹. In order to clarify the details of the impact, the process of interaction of solid particles with cermet targets was studied using a laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) measuring technique. Systematic studies of the influence of the impact variables on the collision process have been carried out.     

Abrasivity and grindability study of mineral ores

The results of the milling experiments of different mineral ores and laboratory wear testing with different abrasives have shown that the abrasivity of treated materials does not depend only on their hardness, but, to a great extent, on the particle shape of the materials. The grindability of materials milled by collision depends on the properties of materials as well on the treatment parameters (specific treatment energy). The aims of this investigation were (1) to study the abrasivity and the grindability of different minerals (granite, quartzite, etc.) and (2) to predict the relative wear resistance of the materials prospective for the grinding media of milling equipment, using a centrifugal type impact wear tester. Experiments conducted with abrasives of different hardness and with particles of different shape have shown that the wear rate of materials used as wear resistant materials in grinding devices depend more on the angularity of abrasive particles than on their hardness. It was shown that the grindability depends more on the composition and properties (fracture toughness, homogeneity of the structure) than on the hardness of the mineral ores. The main size reduction occurs at first collision, later in the multiple milling of mineral materials particle rounding takes place. The angularity parameter has good correlation with the wear rate in the case of the studied commercial steels as well as with metal matrix composites. Experiments with cermets showed that erosion does not practically depend on abrasive particle shape.     

Abrasive erosive wear of powder steels and cermets

Composite materials produced by powder metallurgy provide solutions to many engineering applications that require materials with high abrasive wear resistance. The actual wear behaviour of a material is associated with many external factors (abrasive particle size, velocity and angularity) and intrinsic material properties of wear (hardness, toughness, Young modulus, etc.). Hardness and toughness properties of wear resistant materials are highly dependent on the content of the reinforcing phase, its size and on the mechanical properties of the constituent phase. This study is focused on the analysis of the (AEW) abrasive erosive wear (solid particle erosion) using different wear devices and abrasives. Powder materials (steels, cermets and hardmetals) were studied. Wear resistance of materials and wear mechanisms were studied and compared with those of commercial steels. Based on the results of wear studies, surface degradation mechanisms are proposed. The following parameters characterizing the materials were found necessary in materials creation and selection: hardness (preferably in scale comparable with impact), type of structure (preferably hardmetal type) and wear parameters characterizing material removal at plastic deformation.     

Two-body dry abrasive wear of cermets

The present paper concerns the two-body dry abrasive wear phenomenon of a series of cermets on the base of titanium and chromium carbides with different composition, using a “block on abrasive grinding wheel” test machine. WC–Co hardmetals were used as reference material. Abrasive wear resistance of WC-base hardmetals is superior to that of TiC- and Cr₃C₂-base cermets. The wear coefficient of the cermets reduces with the increase of carbide content in the composites. The volume wear decreases with the increase in bulk hardness. At the first period volume wear of cermets increases linearly with the sliding distance up to the first 100 m; after that the alumina grits become blunt. Scanning electron microscopy examination of the wear tracks in the worn blocks suggests that abrasive wear mechanisms of different cermets are similar and occur through surface elastic-plastic and plastic deformation (grooving). The fracturing of bigger carbide grains and carbide framework the formation of sub-surface cracks by a fatigue process under repeated abrasion is followed by loss of small volumes of the material.     

Effects of composition and microstructure on the slurry erosion of WC-Co cermets

Cemented carbides of optimum composition and microstructure are the preferred materials for resisting the severe erosion encountered in components handling erosive slurries. They possess an attractive combination of erosion resistance and fracture toughness required for structural reliability. In this paper the results are presented of an investigation of the effects of composition and microstructure of well-characterized WC-Co cermets on their erosion wear as assessed in a slurry jet impingement test. The effects of binder volume fraction and microstructural parameters such as WC grain contiguity and mean carbide grain size are rationalized in terms of a phenomenological analysis of erosion in the two-phase microstructure. Quantitative predictions of the semiempirical analysis are shown to be consistent with the experimental observations.     

Erosive wear of advanced composites based on WC

WC based and yttria stabilized zirconia doped (13 vol%) cermets with different metal binders (Co, Ni or Fe) have been successfully produced and tested for performance in erosive media (silica abrasive particles; particle velocity of 80 ms⁻¹ and impact angles of 30° and 90°). An increase in fracture toughness and erosion resistance was shown to be influenced by tetragonal zirconia transformability. Wear performance of the newly developed cermets is found to be highly dependent on sintering conditions.     

Wear Behavior of Thermally Sprayed Coatings under Different Loading Conditions

Wear behavior of three kinds of thermally sprayed coatings with similar hardness have been investigated under steady-state and dynamic loading tests. The steady-state loading tests were conducted on a reciprocating sliding device and the dynamic loading tests were conducted with a single-pendulum scratching device. Experimental results show that the wear mechanisms of the coatings under steady-state sliding friction testing are microcutting and microploughing, whereas the material losses under the dynamic impact scratch testing are mainly due to split cutting and fracture. Tribo-oxidization in the sliding process was found to have an influence on the wear behaviors of the thermally sprayed coatings. The results also indicated that wear resistance of thermally sprayed coatings can be correlated to hardness, plasticity, toughness, and cohesion. As far as the coatings of similar hardness were concerned, the wear resistance under steady-state loading was mainly due to the cohesion of the laminar structure of the coatings and the wear resistance under dynamic loading was mainly due to the toughness and deformation compatibility of the coatings.     

Friction and dry sliding wear behaviour of cermets

The friction and wear behaviour of cermets/steel rubbing pairs were investigated. Friction and wear tests were carried out using three different crèmets on the base of tungsten, titanium and chromium carbides under dry sliding conditions against steel disk (0.45% C). Sliding wear tests were carried out using modified block-on-ring equipment at a sliding speed of 2.2 m/s and normal load 40 N.It is shown that wear resistance and coefficient of friction depend on the type and chemical composition of the cermets. The WC–Co cermets have the highest wear resistance. The wear rate of WC–Co and TiC–NiMo cermets increased with increasing binder content in the cermets. The wear of Cr₃C₂–Ni cermets is more complicated and depends on the composition of cermets. The wear of WC–Co cermets is caused mainly by preferential removal of the cobalt binder, followed by fracture of the intergranular boundaries and fragmentation of the carbide grains. The main wear mechanism in the TiC–NiMo cermets is polishing (micro-abrasion) and adhesion, resulting in a low wear rate. The main wear mechanism of Cr₃C₂–Ni cermets involves thermal cracking and fatigue-related crushing of large carbide grains and carbide framework and also adhesion.     

Characterization and prediction of abrasive wear of powder composite materials

Composite materials produced by powder metallurgy provide a solution in many engineering applications where materials with high abrasion and erosion resistance are required. The actual wear behaviour of the material is associated with many external factors (particle size, velocity, angularity, etc.) and intrinsic material properties (hardness, toughness, Young modulus, etc.). Hardness and toughness properties of such tribomaterials are highly dependent from the content of reinforcing phase, its size and from the mechanical properties of the constituent phases. In this study an attempt is made to model the erosion wear behaviour of composite materials, to calculate the wear rate and to correlate erosion rates with experimental results and material parameters. Powder composites cermets and metal-matrix composite materials reinforced with different content of hard phase were used as examples in this research. Wear mechanisms of materials were investigated. Following from the main mechanisms of erosion wear the models of plastic deformation and brittle fracture are developed for prediction of erosion of powder composite materials. It was demonstrated, that the erosion rate of hardmetal-type materials can be predicted using the results obtained by microindentation methods. The use of hardness distribution parameters is justified with materials with low binder content.     

Influence of alumina dispersoid and test parameters on erosive wear behaviour of a cast zinc–aluminium alloy

Observations made pertaining to the erosive wear characteristics of a cast zinc-based alloy and its composite containing 10 wt.% (corresponding to 11.2 vol.%) alumina particles have been presented in this study. Matrix alloy has also been tested under identical test conditions in order to examine the role played by second phase alumina particles on the erosive wear resistance of the matrix alloy. Eroded surfaces and subsurface regions of the specimens were also characterized to understand the operating wear mechanisms.The composite exhibited higher erosive wear resistance (inverse of erosive wear rate) than the unreinforced matrix alloy in general. Further, the wear rate increased with increasing impingement velocity as also evident from higher surface damage. Increasing angle of impingement at lower impinging velocity led to reduced erosive wear rate. On the contrary, the erosive wear rate increased initially with impingement angle, attained the peak and then decreased at still higher angles at the higher impingement velocity. The eroded surfaces showed more abrasion grooves at lower impingement angle and greater tendency of crater formation at higher angles of attack. In case of the composite, protrusion and fracture of the dispersoid phase was also noted. The composite also revealed less severe surface and subsurface damage than the matrix alloy.     

船舶柴油机气缸套拉缸机理的试验研究

根据模拟试验的相似准则设计磨损试验,研究对船舶航行安全构成严重威胁的异常磨损现象,例如拉缸和咬缸。试验结果表明硬化相的性能和含量与试验所选用的材料耐磨性相一致,且随着载荷的增加,材料发生拉毛的时间呈指数关系下降,本文根据摩擦副三滑磨面接触模型,进而提出摩擦界面温度升高导致粘着以及摩擦副表面的强烈摩擦导致硬化相的碎裂甚至折断等因素是气缸套异常磨损的根本原因,为预防气缸套拉缸或者咬缸提供了理论依据。     

Erosive wear of selected metals in coal washing environments

A slurry erosive wear apparatus developed by the authors has been used to test the erosive wear behaviour of selected metals in coal washing environments. The erosive wear test machine was employed to determine the effects of (1) carbon content in carbon steels, (2) chromium content in alloy steels, and (3) corrosion of aqueous solutions on the erosive wear behaviour of metals. The test results revealed that the carbon content in annealed carbon steels slightly affects the erosive wear resistance of metals, while the increase in chromium content of alloy steels apparently improves the erosive wear resistance of metals and, when a corrosion inhibitor is added to slurries, the erosive wear rates of metals reduces significantly. Two types of micro-mechanism were deduced from the observation of eroded surfaces by SEM: (1) local exfoliation, and (2) micro-cutting. The corrosion inhibitor can alter the micro-mechanism from local exfoliation to micro-cutting. The analyses show that the erosive wear of selected metals in slurries results from the synergistic effects of wear by solid particles plus fluid corrosion.     

Two body dry abrasive wear of TiC–NiMo cermets

Abstract

The present paper covers the two body dry abrasive wear of a series of titanium carbide base cermets with different amounts of NiMo binder phases (20–60 wt-%) using a 'block on abrasive grinding wheel' test machine. The wear coefficient of the cermets decreases with increasing TiC and Mo contents in the composite, which corresponds to an increase in bulk hardness. The volume loss increases with the increases in the sliding distance and the applied normal load, as predicted by the Rabinowitcz equation. The post-run wear tracks of the worn blocks were analysed by SEM to determine the wear mechanisms. The material is actually removed by several processes which scale the process of groove formation, including the formation of subsurface cracks by a fatigue process under repeated abrasion.     

Three-body abrasive wear of TiC–NiMo cermets

The mechanism of three-body abrasive wear of TiC-base cermets was studied. The wear rate of a series of cermets with different percentage of NiMo binder phase (20–60 wt%) was studied. Silica sand was used as an abrasive. The wear rate of the cermets decreases with the increase of TiC and Mo content, which corresponds to the increase in the bulk hardness. The post-run wear tracks of the worn blocks were analyzed with SEM. The material is removed by several processes such as extrusion and removal of the binder and also fractures of the carbide grains and the carbide network.     

Effect of structural features on erosion resistance of cast irons

Erosion resistance of four types of cast iron of different microstructures and graphite morphologies (viz., grey cast iron, compacted graphite iron, spheroidal graphite iron and austempered ductile iron) was evaluated in three different erosive media. Results indicate that austempered ductile iron has the highest erosion resistance in all three media, followed by spheroidal graphite iron, compacted graphite iron and grey cast iron, in that order. Graphite morphology has a significant effect on the erosion resistance of these irons in quartz-water and iron oxide-oil slurry. However, the matrix microstructure determines the erosion resistance of these irons in quartz-oil slurry. The parameter H/E (which is the ratio of the Brinell hardness number to Young's modulus of the material) has been found to be a good indicator of erosive wear in quartz-oil slurry.     

Assessment of the erosion resistance of steels used for slurry handling and transport in mineral processing applications

The wear environment of steels used for containing, transporting and processing erosive mineral slurries is often such that fluid borne particles form a layer moving at high speed across the wearing surface. Information on the performance ranking of such materials is limited, particularly with respect to the influence of steel hardness and microstructure on the resistance to erosion. This is particularly important for the oil sands industry of Northern Alberta where handling and processing of essentially silica-based solids results in extremely severe wear conditions. This paper presents slurry erosion data obtained on 11 commercially available wear resistant plate and pipeline steels with hardness values up to 750 HV. These data were obtained using a Coriolis erosion tester operated at 5000 rpm with an aqueous slurry containing 10 wt.% of 200–300 μm silica sand particles.

The Coriolis erosion tester was selected because it provides a low-angle scouring action that simulates the erosive conditions encountered in oil sands and tailings pipeline transport and in some related processing operations. Results show that this test method is able to discriminate clearly between the erosion resistance of these steels, expressed in terms of specific energy (the energy necessary to remove unit volume of test material), with the most erosion resistant steel being more than five times superior to the least resistant. A graphical relation between steel hardness and erosion resistance is given. A comparison is also made between slurry erosion data and the performance of the materials in the ASTM G65 dry sand rubber wheel (DSRW) sliding abrasion test. Comments on the influence of the macro- and microstructures of the steels on their wear behaviour are included.     

Wear by hard particles

Abrasive wear can be caused by hard particles sliding on a softer solid surface and displaying or detaching material. Different types of interactions are distinguished between the sliding particles and the wearing surface of the solid. Frequently, resistance against abrasive wear is only considered as a function of hardness of the wearing material. However, a more general model shows that, depending on the interaction, the capability of deformation or the fracture toughness of the wearing material is very important in addition to hardness. Abrasive wear resistance can substantially be improved by second phases embedded in a hard or soft matrix. The theoretical models are supported by a lot of experimental results from studies on metallic or ceramic materials.     

A study of sand slurry erosion of W-alloy white cast irons

This paper reports the results of a study into the effects of the composition, hardness and electrochemical properties of W-group cast irons on sand slurry-erosion resistance and wear mechanisms. The results indicate that the sand slurry-erosion resistance of the irons can be raised by increasing the content of tungsten, especially when the iron is alloyed with chromium. The relation between macrohardness and sand slurry-erosion is intricate. In the low hardness range, the sand slurry-erosion resistance is linearly increased with hardness, but this relationship does not exist in the high hardness range. The sand slurry-erosion resistance of cast iron can be considerably increased by increasing its corrosion resistance. Sand slurry-erosion is an abrasive wear process accompanied by corrosion and cavitation, all of which aggravate each other.     

Wear Characteristics of Large Grinding Balls in an SAG Mill

The wear characteristics of larger than 120 mm-diameter grinding balls used in large semiautogenous (SAG) mills is studied in the present paper. SEM observation on the worn ball surface reveals a severe microcutting process. Abrasion grooves can be found on the overall surface. Moreover, persistent microcracks are found on the surface. The observation on the cross section indicates extended white layers and white bands exist in the subsurface of worn balls. The white layer is not homogenous on the surface. The largest white layer is about 20 μm thick and 1.3 mm long. The wear resistance of the white layer is tested with a simulated high stress impact wear tester. It is found that the white layer is associated with delamination wear, which significantly increases the wear rate. The delamination wear mechanism is explained from the intensely deformed microstructure and microcracks inside the white layer. Based on the experimental results, a wear formula consisting of both microcutting wear and delamination wear is submitted. This formula means that high wear resistance is only achieved when the hardness and fracture toughness of grinding balls are increased simultaneously.     

Friction-induced martensitic transformation in austenitic manganese steels

The sliding wear behaviour of various metastable Fe-Mn-C austenites as well as that of the classic Hadfield steel is investigated. The frictioninduced martensitic transformation and work hardening of the austenite in surfaces exposed to friction are analysed using X-ray diffraction, light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopies.It becomes evident that the initial hardness of the austenitic Fe-Mn-C alloys is not a useful property to predict the wear resistance. Instead of this, the hardness of the work-hardened surface layer in connection with the particular wear mechanism has to be considered.Thin martensitic surface layers induced by frictional forces considerably increase the sliding wear resistance; thick layers which have been transformed to martensite, however, can initiate failure because of brittle fracture. This depends on the degree of metastability of the austenite as well as on the applied load.