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Abstract
The excellent abrasion resistance of high chromium cast irons (HCCIs) stems from the dispersion of the hard iron-chromium eutectic carbides. The surrounding matrix on the other hand, provides sufficient mechanical support, improving the resistance to cracking deformation and spalling. Prior knowledge of the microstructural characteristics is imperative to appropriately design subsequent heat treatments, and in this regard, employing computational tools is the current trend. In this work, computational and experimental results were correlated with the aim of validating the usage of MatCalc simulations to predict the eutectic carbide phase fraction and the elemental distribution in two HCCI alloys, in the as-cast condition. Microstructural observations were carried out using optical microscopy and SEM. The chemical composition and fraction of each phase was measured by electron probe microanalysis and image analysis, respectively. In all cases, the values predicted by the pseudo-equilibrium diagrams, computed with MatCalc, were in accordance with the experimentally determined values. Consequently, the results suggest that time and resource intensive experimental procedures can be replaced by simulation techniques to determine the phase fraction and especially, the individual phase compositions in the as-cast state.
Highlights
High chromium cast irons (HCCIs) are alloys containing 15–30 wt. % Cr and 2.5–4 wt. % C, and belong to the Fe–C–Cr ternary system, as described in the ASTM A532 [1,2]
The main objective of the current work is to validate the usage of thermodynamic simulation as an approach to determine the eutectic carbide phase fraction and the corresponding matrix, and carbide chemical compositions of HCCIs in the as-cast condition
Computational tools and experimental results were combined in this work with the aim to validate the usage of MatCalc simulations for the prediction of phase fractions and elemental distribution in HCCI’s in the as-cast condition, for the convincing implementation of these tools for further heat treatment design
Summary
High chromium cast irons (HCCIs) are alloys containing 15–30 wt. % Cr and 2.5–4 wt. % C, and belong to the Fe–C–Cr ternary system, as described in the ASTM A532 [1,2]. The carbide characteristics and the chemical composition of the matrix after solidification determines, to a large extent, the efficacy of the subsequent heat treatment on the microstructural modifications [5,16,17]. For these reasons, it is imperative to evaluate the carbide characteristics and the chemical composition of each phase in the as-cast state. The main objective of the current work is to validate the usage of thermodynamic simulation as an approach to determine the eutectic carbide phase fraction and the corresponding matrix, and carbide chemical compositions of HCCIs in the as-cast condition. The influence of the Cr content in the hardness of each phase and of the ‘composite’ itself, was evaluated using nanoindentation, Rockwell and Vickers microhardness tests
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