Effect of carbides on the wear resistance of white cast iron alloyed with 12.7 wt.-% Cr and nickel

Abstract White cast iron with about 12.7 wt.-% chromium was alloyed with Ni, W and Mo for heat treatment applications. Heat treatments were performed at a range of 850-1050 °C for 1 h in order to distribute M7C3 carbides homogeneously in an environment of high wear resistance. The contents of the C, Cr, Ni, Mo, Mn and Si elements selected for the alloys were similar, though a 6 wt.-% nickel concentration was chosen. Microstructural changes in the specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). Macro-hardness, average carbide size and volume fraction were analyzed. Wear tests were carried out under different loads of 10, 20 and 30 N. It was seen that heat treatment changed the carbide size and homogeneous distribution of the carbides. Moreover, the addition of nickel to HCrWCI increased fracture toughness and reduced the wear rate.