Effect of Substrate Heat Treatment on Wear Behavior of Fe- and Ni-Based Hardfacings

Abstract

In different fields of high abrasive processes, e.g. in agriculture and mining industry, components made of tempering steel are additionally protected with a wear resistant alloy on high loaded sections. An industrial standard process flow includes heat treatment of components after hardfacing process. However, the exact effect of heat treatment procedure on wear performance of hardfacings is still mostly unknown.The main aim of this study was to determine the influence of substrate heat treatment on iron and nickel based hardfacings under two and three-body conditions. Commonly used wear resistant tempered steel was used as substrate material. Heat treatment investigations were performed on two Fe-based tool steel alloys (M2 and FeVCrC) and a Ni-based alloy reinforced with WC/W2C (Ni-FTC) deposited by plasma transferred arc technology (PTA), respectively. After hardfacing a heat treatment optimized for tempered steel substrate was performed on hardfaced samples.Microstructure investigations were done by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and hardness measurements. Additionally wear behavior was estimated by dry-sand rubber-wheel test (three-body abrasion) and continuous impact abrasion test (two-body abrasion).Results showed significant influence of heat treatment, due to microstructural changes, on wear performance under 3-body conditions of Fe-based tool steels. This effect was not as pronounced in Ni-based alloy than in types of tool steel. Interestingly, in both M2 tool steel and Ni-based systems heat treatment led to decrease 2-body wear resistance. However, heat treated V-rich tool steel type showed good wear performance in continuous impact abrasion test. Composed wear map, based on this study, shows critical changes in general wear performance for investigated hardfacings.