Friction and wear behavior of steam-oxidized ferrous PM compacts

This study determines density effect by assessing sintering temperature and graphite content on the dry sliding wear characteristics of steam-treated iron materials using a pin-on-disk wear test. The specimens were prepared from atomized premixed iron base powders and contained 0.1 to 1.0 wt.% carbon compacted at different densities (5.9 g/cc to 6.8 g/cc). The specimens were sintered for 1 h at different sintering temperatures (1090°C to 1130°C), and then subjected to continuous steam treatment at 540°C for 95 min through in situ Powder metallurgy (PM) technique. Steam treatment was proposed to improve the wear performances of the components of PM. Wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disk-type machine. Load ranged from 20 N to 60 N. Sliding distance and sliding velocity of 312 m and 0.26 m/s, respectively, were adopted for all tests. Scanning electron microscope was used to analyze wear surface. Increased density and graphite content reduced the wear rate of steam-treated materials. Hardness increased with increasing graphite content. Wear mechanism, wear rate map, and wear maps were drawn for the test result data. Wear transition map identified mild, severe, and ultra-severe wear regimes as functions of applied load.