Improved Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Metal-Matrix Composites Dispersion-Strengthened by Nanoparticles

Evgenii Levashov,Zaytsev Alexandr,Victoria Kurbatkina

doi:10.3390/ma3010097

Evgenii Levashov, Zaytsev Alexandr + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma3010097

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Journal: Materials	Publication Date: Dec 29, 2009
Citations: 43	License type: CC BY 3.0

Affiliation: National University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Co- and Fe-based alloys produced by powder technology are being widely used as a matrix for diamond-containing composites in cutting, drilling, grinding pplications, etc. The severe service conditions demand that the mechanical and tribological properties of these alloys be improved. Development of metal-matrix composites (MMCs) and alloys reinforced with nanoparticles is a promising way to resolve this problem. In this work, we have investigated the effect of nano-sized WC, ZrO2, Al2O3, and Si3N4 additives on the properties of sintered dispersion-strengthened Co- and Fe-based MMCs. The results show an increase in the hardness (up to 10 HRB), bending strength (up to 50%), wear resistance (by a factor of 2–10) and a decrease in the friction coefficient (up to 4-fold) of the dispersion-strengthened materials. The use of designed alloys as a binder of cutting diamond tools gave a 4-fold increment in the service life, without reduction in their cutting speed.

Highlights

Co- and Fe-based alloys produced by powder technology are seeing wide use as a matrix for diamond-containing composites employed in cutting, drilling, grinding applications, etc. [1–3]
The use of nano-sized particles for reinforcement of hard compounds is advantageous for the following reasons. (1) according to the Orovan equation, the effectiveness of dispersion strengthening depends [15] on the particle size of embedded particulates, so that a relatively low amount of reinforcing phase can be expected to markedly improve the mechanical properties of reinforced alloys
Uniform distribution of nanoparticles in a charge is a key factor that defines the effectiveness of dispersion hardening

Summary

Introduction

Co- and Fe-based alloys produced by powder technology are seeing wide use as a matrix for diamond-containing composites employed in cutting, drilling, grinding applications, etc. [1–3]. Co- and Fe-based alloys produced by powder technology are seeing wide use as a matrix for diamond-containing composites employed in cutting, drilling, grinding applications, etc. The cutting ability of diamond segments is known [4–11] to depend markedly on the mechanical, Materials 2010, 3 physicochemical, and tribological properties of the matrix material (binder). (1) according to the Orovan equation, the effectiveness of dispersion strengthening depends [15] on the particle size of embedded particulates, so that a relatively low amount of reinforcing phase (below 5 vol %) can be expected to markedly improve the mechanical properties of reinforced alloys. In the first section of this paper, we will describe the preparation of composite materials with uniform distribution of reinforcing particles and the effect of embedded nanoparticles on the sintering process and on mechanical/tribological properties of alloys. We will report on the applications of the designed alloys as a binder for diamond tools

Optimization the intermixing process

Effect of nanoparticles on the sintering process

Implementation of developed DS alloys

Experimental Section

Conclusions