Preparation of wear resistant materials by melting and diffusion process

A wear-resistant material reinforced with VC_p was manufactured by the in-mold melting process, in which the high-vanadium alloy-rods were melted by high temperature liquid steel and elements diffused into the liquid. Microstructure of the material was examined by OM, SEM, and XRD, and alloy elements in the diffusion layer were studied by EDS, and the hardness of the material was tested by HRS. The experimental results show that the material gradually changes hardness, which is due to the uniformly existents of carbide particles on martensite matrix and the gradient distribution of vanadium and carbide.