Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate the impact behavior of iron-based composites reinforced with boron carbide (B4C) particles and in-situ synthesized iron borides (Fe2B/FeB). The composite specimens (Fe/B4C) were fabricated by hot-pressing under a pressure of 250 MPa at 500 °C, and sintered at a temperature of 1000 °C. The effects of the reinforcement ratio on the formation of in-situ borides and impact behavior were investigated by means of different volume fractions of B4C inside the iron matrix: 0% (un-reinforced), 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. Drop-weight impact tests were performed by an instrumented Charpy impactor on reinforced and un-reinforced test specimens. The results of the impact tests were supported with microstructural and fractographical analysis. As a result of in-situ reactions between the Fe matrix and B4C particles, Fe2B phases were formed in the iron matrix. The iron borides, formed in the iron matrix during sintering, heavily affected the hardness and the morphology of the fractured surface. Due to the high amount of B4C (over 10%), porosity played a major role in decreasing the contact forces and fracture energy. The results showed that the in-situ synthesized iron boride phases affect the impact properties of the Fe/B4C composites.
Highlights
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are preferred in machine elements and constructive structures working under many loading types, with their high specific strength, high wear resistance, and advanced thermal properties
A refers to a brittle-type fracture a sharp in the iron follows: (1) Boride phases formed in the internal structure significantly increased the hardness of the composites; on the other hand, the fracture force and impact energy decreased
An increased sintering duration may lead to increased boride phases and increases hardness, whereas it caused a negative effect on the fracture force values
Summary
Metal matrix composites (MMCs) are preferred in machine elements and constructive structures working under many loading types, with their high specific strength, high wear resistance, and advanced thermal properties. Particle-reinforced composites are advanced materials with the potential to provide improved properties, progressively used in the automotive, aircraft, and space industries, as well as in civil and defense applications. Composite materials are usually exposed to impact damages in different environments. Problems associated with impact damages are limiting the design criteria for composite materials [3]. The response of the composites can be affected by different failure modes, such as microstructure properties, crack initiation and propagation, and damage type of the reinforcement particles [4,5]
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