Comparative study of the mechanical and tribological properties of a Hadfield and a Fermanal steel

Abstract

In this study, Fe-12.50Mn-1.10C-1.70Cr-0.40Mo-0.40Si-0.50(max)P-0.50(max)S (Hadfield alloy) and Fe-28.4Mn-0.86C-1.63Al-0.42Cu-1.80Mo-1.59Si-0.60W (Fermanal alloy) (Wt. %) in the aged condition were compared in terms of its tribological and microstructural properties. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were refined with the lines of the austenitic γ-phase, Chromium Iron Carbide (Cr2Fe14C), Iron Carbide (Fe2C), and Iron Oxide (Fe0.974O (II)) for the Hadfield alloy, and the lines of the austenitic γ-phase, martensite (M), Mn1.1Al0.9 phase and iron carbide (Fe7C3) for the Fermanal alloy. Mossbauer spectra were fit with two sites for the Hadfield alloy, which displayed as a broad singlet because of the austenitic disordered phase, and had a magnetic hyperfine field distribution, which corresponds to the Cr2Fe14C ferromagnetic carbides found by XRD. There were two paramagnetic sites, a singlet, which corresponds to the austenite disordered phase, and a doublet, which can be attributed to the Fe7C3 carbide. The obtained Rockwell C hardness for aged Hadfield and Fermanal alloys were 43.786 and 50.018 HRc, respectively.