Mechanical properties of co‐extruded wear resistant powder metallurgical layers on steel substrates

Abstract

AbstractMaterials with high resistance against abrasive wear are of interest for many tool applications. For economical reasons, thick coatings of several millimetres are requested. The cladding of these materials to low alloyed substrates is commonly performed using hot isostatic pressing, being a cost intensive process in particular for long products. Thus, a novel manufacturing route via direct hot extrusion of encapsulated bulk steel bars and presintered tool steel powders was recently developed. In this manner, wear resistant claddings of PM tool steels and wear resistant MMC on steel substrates could be processed.Heating to process temperature leads to presintering of the powder and only a weak bonding between the steel substrate and the powdery layer. However, after direct hot extrusion at 1150 °C an interface free of macroscopic defects is formed between both materials. The quality and strength of this bond zone was investigated by micro tensile, 4 point bending and shear tests for different materials combinations. For high strength substrate materials, failure always occurs in the brittle wear resistant layer and not at the interface. These results are in agreement with microstructural investigations, exhibiting a pore‐ and defect‐free interface dominated by interdiffusion processes.