Effects of Secondary Carbide Precipitation and Transformation on Abrasion Resistance of the 16Cr-1Mo-1Cu White Iron

Abstract

The relationship between secondary carbide precipitation and transformation of the 16Cr-1Mo-1Cu white iron and abrasion resistance were investigated. The results show that secondary carbide precipitation and transformation at holding stage play an important role in the hardness and abrasion resistance. After being held for a certain time at 853 K for subcritical treatment, the grainy secondary carbide, (Fe,Cr)23C6, precipitated first and then Fe2MoC or MoC carbides precipitated in the alloy, both of which improve the bulk hardness and abrasion resistance of the alloy. The reasons for these improvements are the secondary carbide precipitates from the austenite and the retained austenite transforms into the martensite, both make the matrix strengthen. So the matrix has more effective support to the harder eutectic carbide against exterior abrasion. With expanding the holding time, the in situ transformation from the granular (Fe,Cr)23C6 carbide into laminar M3C carbide causes the formation of the pearlitic matrix and an associated decrease of the alloy abrasion resistance.