Comparative tribocorrosion tests of 30CrMo12 cast steel and ADI spheroidal cast iron

Abstract

The article proposes the use of ADI cast iron as an alternative material solution for 30CrMo12 cast steel in the construction of friction systems intended for use in tribocorrosion conditions with the presence of an abradant. An independent evaluation of the resistance to tribocorrosion of the analyzed materials was made using two types of tests: a laboratory and industrial one. The industrial test was carried out using an original research stand. It made it possible to map the real operating conditions of the chain wheels of the scraper conveyor transporting a mixture of mineral abrasive and salt water. A standard tribotester with a ball-on-plate system and a model corrosion environment of 3.5% NaCl were used in the laboratory test.The research results included in the article indicate that ADI cast iron has a higher resistance to tribocorrosion than 30CrMo12 cast steel despite lower initial hardness and similar corrosion resistance. This effect may be caused by the ability to strengthen the near-surface layers of cast iron due to frictional interactions.The article also showed that the results of the comparative assessment of the tribocorrosion resistance of various materials obtained in the model systems (the laboratory test) can be as effective as the tests of real machine systems (the industrial test).