Niobium‐Carbide‐Enhanced Wear Performance of High‐Carbon Steels

In this article, the multifaceted challenges of abrasive wear are explored, delving into its impact on components across diverse industries such as automotive, aerospace, mining, manufacturing, and energy production. The introduction of hard eutectic niobium carbide (NbC) networks into a high C martensitic steel and its effect on abrasive wear properties specifically is investigated. Four ingots are casted with Nb contents of 0.01, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 wt% and a base compositions of Fe–1.0C–0.96Mn–0.22Si–0.26Cu–0.11Ni–0.50Cr–0.005V–0.012Nb to determine the influence of eutectic NbC on hardness and wear resistance. Microstructural evaluation performed using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction reveals that the eutectic NbC networks are broken up and distributed in bands within the microstructure upon hot‐rolling. A general increase in material hardness and wear resistance with an increase in Nb content is observed as measured by dry sand/rubber wheel (DSRW) testing. Nb alloying leads to a 65% decrease in DSRW mass loss between the 0.01 and 1.0 wt% Nb alloys at an approximate rate of 6% per every 0.1 wt% Nb added.