Effect of B element on Fe-10Cr-B alloy

Abstract In this paper, Fe-10Cr-B alloys with different B content were prepared by the method of liquid phase sintering. Optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Rockwell hardness tester were used to investigate the influence of B element on the structure, phases and macro-hardness of the Fe-10Cr-B alloys. The results show that the hardness of alloys with different B content gradually increases with the increase of B content in the alloy. When the B content is 2.5 wt.%, the hardness of the alloy reaches the maximum value of 61.8HRC. A further increase in the B content will lead to a decrease in the macroscopic hardness of the alloy sample. The alloy with B content of 2.5wt.% is mainly composed of metal matrix and M 23 (C, B) 6 boron-carbides. The Cr and B elements are mainly enriched in boron-carbides.