Thermodynamics of Modifying Effect of Rare Earth Oxide on Inclusions in Hardfacing Metal of Medium-High Carbon Steel

The modifying effect of rare earth (RE) oxide on inclusions in hardfacing metals of medium-high carbon steel was investigated by means of thermodynamics. The thermodynamic analysis for inclusion formation shows that RE oxide can be reduced to RE element by carbon, then the RE element can react with oxygen and sulfur to form the RE oxide, RE sulfide and RE oxide-sulfide in hardfacing molten pool. The deoxidization and the desulphurization can be carried out and the liquid metal can be purified. In addition, RE oxide can also react with sulfur to form RE oxide-sulfide directly. Therefore, the harmful effect of sulfur can be decreased.

Microstructure of Fe-Based Alloy Hardfacing Coating Reinforced by TiC-VC Particles

Mierostrueture of the Fe-based alloy hardfaeing coating reinforced by TiC-VC particles was investigated by means of SEM, TEM, XRD and EPMA. The thermodynamics and effect of elements on the carbides were discussed. The result shows that TiC-VC carbides can be formed during arc welding. Carbides with particle size of 2 ～4μm are uniformly dispersed in the matrix. Evidently the covering components and their amount affect the microstrueture and hardness of the coatings. An excellent microstructure and hardness of hardfacing coating were obtained, while the amount of graphite, FeTi and FeV was controlled within the range of 8%- 10%, 15%- 18% and 8%- 12%, respectively.

Mechanism of Cracking Resistance of Hardfacing Specimens of Steel 5CrNiMo Improved by Rare Earth Oxide

The cracking morphology of the hardfacing specimens taken from steel 5CrNiMo was observed. Meanwhile, the residual stress fields were measured and simulated. Based on experiment mentioned above, the improved structure and modified inclusion in hardfacing metal with rare earth （RE） oxide were analyzed. The results show that, the hardfacing crack is initiated from the coarse dendritic crystal grain boundary, inclusions and coarse austenite grain boundary in the HAZ and propagated by the residual stress existing in the center of the hardfacing metal and HAZ. The primary columnar grain structure can be refined by adding RE oxide in the coating of the electrode. The inclusion in the hardfacing metal can be modified as well. Meanwhile, if the martensite transformation temperature is decreased, the largest value of the residual tensile stress in the dangerous region can be reduced.

Formation of carbonitride precipitates in hardfacing alloy with niobium addition

Niobium, as the most effective second-phase forming element, was added in the Fe-Crl3-C-N hard- facing alloy to get carbonitride precipitates. Morphology and composition of carbonitride in the hardfacing alloy were studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalyzer. The ther- modynamics and the effect on the matrix of the formation of carbonitride were also discussed. It was found that niobium carbonitrides are complex Nb（C, N） precipitate distributed on grain boundary and matrix of the hardfacing alloy. Under as-welded condition, primary carbonitride particles were readily precipitated from the hardfacing alloy with large size and morphology as they were formed already during solidification. Under heat treatment condi- tion, a large number of secondary carbonitrides can pre- cipitate out with very fine size and make a great secondary hardening effect on the matrix. As a result, addition of niobium in the hardfacing alloy can prevent the formation of chromium-rich phase on grain boundaries and inter- granular chromium depletion.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of C-Cr-W-Mo-V-RE Fe-based hardfacing layer

After different heat treatment processes, the metal compound, the microstructure and the hardness of the C-Cr-W- Mo-V-RE Fe-based hardfacing layers are investigated by means of metallographic microscope, X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, energy dispersive spectrum（ EDS ）, transmission electron microscope（TEM） and hardness tester. The results show that the hardfacing layers have higher tempering stability and secondary hardening property. After quenching at 820 ℃ ,the hardness value（ HRC37 ） and the microstructure of the layers are similar to that normalized at 820 - 1 000 ℃. The tempering stability and the hardness increases with increasing quench temperature, which is attributed to the amount of the alloy element in the matrix. These results are very helpful for improving the mechanical properties of the hardfacing layers.

Effect of molybdenum on the microstructure and wear resistance of hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys

Hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys with different molybdenum( Mo) contents( The design content was 0,2,3. 3 and 4. 5 wt. %,respectively) were deposited using the flux-cored wire by means of metal active gas arc welding. The effects of Mo on the refinement of microstructures,eutectic microstructure changes and improvement of wear resistance were investigated. The main results were shown as follows: the added Mo could increase the volume fraction of eutectic microstructure and reduce the size of coarse primary austenite as well as the volume fraction. The carboboride of M_3( B,C) could be observed in hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys at the Mo design content of ≤2. 0 wt. %,while that of M_(23)( B,C)_(6) was formed when 3. 3 wt. % Mo was added.Additionally,the wear resistance of alloys was increased with the increase in Mo content. Specifically,the highest wear resistance of alloys was achieved at 4. 5 wt. % Mo design content,which was 113. 7% higher than that in alloys without Mo.

Microstructure and wear property of hardfacing alloy with nitrogen strengthening

The nitrogen-alloying hardfacing alloy of the martensitic stainless steel was deposited on a low carbon steel substrate using hardfacing flux-cored wire. Microstructure and surface hardness of hardfacing alloy were investigated and measured by optical microscope and microhardness tester. Carbonitrides of the hardfacing alloy were observed by electron probe. The wear behaviour of the hardfacing alloy was studied using the belt abrasion test apparatus and the worn surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that carbonitride particles in the hardfacing alloy are complex MX （ M： alloy elements ; X： C, N） precipitate with fine size. These carbonitride particles distributed homogeneously in the hardfacing alloy and had a good strengthening effect on the wear property. The wear property of the hardfacing alloy with nitrogen was better than the one without nitrogen.

Reliability evaluation of hardness test methods of hardfacing coatings with hypoeutectic and hypereutectic microstructures

Hardfacing coatings involve hard carbide/boride phases dispersed in a relatively soft steel matrix.For the hardness measurements of hardfacing coatings,depending on the microstructure,both the hardness test method and the applied load affect the hardness results;therefore,they affect the wear performance predictions of the coating.For this reason,the proper hardness test method should be determined according to the microstructure of the coating,and the reliability of the obtained hardness data should be established.This study aimed to determine the most suitable hardness test method for hypoeutectic and hypereutectic microstructures of hardfacing coatings by analyzing the reliability of Rockwell-C and Vickers hardness test results.Reliability analyses showed that Rockwell-C is not a suitable hardness test method for hypereutectic hardfacing coatings.Based on the relationship between wear resistance and hardness,Vickers hardness method was found more suitable for the considered materials.

Measurement of Residual Stress Field of Hardfacing Metal with RE Oxide and Its Numerical Simulation

The temperature and residual stress fields of a medium-high carbon steel, welded by a cracking resistance electrode with rare earth (RE) oxide, were measured by thermo-vision analyzer and X-ray stress analyzer respectively. Meanwhile, the martensitic transformation temperatures of matrix, hard-face welding (hardfacing) metal welded by conventional hardfacing electrode and that welded by cracking resistance electrode with RE oxide were determined. According to the experimental data and the thermo-physical, mechanical parameters of materials, finite element method (FEM) of temperature and stress fields was established. In this FEM, the effect of martensitic transformation on residual stress of hardfacing metal of medium-high carbon steel was taken into account. The results show that, by adding RE oxide in the coat of hardfacing electrode, the martensitic transformation temperature can be decreased, so that the residual tensile stress on the dangerous position can be decreased. Therefore, the cracking resistance of hardfacing metal can be improved.

Effect of Titanium Content on Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Hardfacing Alloy

The hardfacing alloys with different concentrations of titanium were deposited on carbon steel substrates by shielded metal arc welding, and the effect of titanium content on the microstructure characteristics of the hardfacing alloys was investigated. The wear resistance test of the hardfacing alloys was carried out by using a slurry rubber wheel abrasion test machine, and the wear behaviour was also studied. The results indicate that the addition of titanium can effectively promote the precipitation of the complex carbides of Nb and Ti due to the prior precipitation of titanium carbide which acts as nucleation sites for complex carbides. With the increase of titanium content, the wear resistance of the hardfacing alloys is increased gradually resulting from the refinement of microstructure and dispersive distribution of fine carbide precipitates. And the wear mechanism is mainly minimum plastic deformation with interrupted grooves due to the strengthening and protecting effects of carbide precipitates.

Tempering Stability of Fe-Base Hardfacing Layer Containing RE and Multiple Alloying

After tempering treatment at different conditions, the tempering stability of Fe-base hardfacing layer containing RE and multiple alloying was investigated. The results show that after heat preservation at 560 ℃ and tempering for 4 h the hardness value of Fe-base hardfacing layer containing RE and multiple alloying can reach HRC57; By repeatedly heating circle 700 ℃17 ℃ for 150 times, the hardness value of Fe-base hardfacing layer can reach HRC43, tempering stability is higher and causes the secondary hardening phenomenon. Reasons for higher tempering stability of Fe-base hardfacing layer were analyzed by means of metallographic, XRD, TEM and EDS.

Effect of RE Oxide on Cracking Resistance of Hardfacing Metal

The crack morphologies of hardfacing metal were observed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile, the cracking resistances of hardfacing metal were investigated. The results show that the solidification cracking and quench hardened cracking are the main forms of cracking in hardfacing metal. The cracking resistance of hardfacing metal can be improved by adding rare earth oxide in the coat of electrode.

Thermal Fatigue Property of Cr-W-Mo-Ni-Mn-RE Ferric-Base Hardfacing Layer

The thermal fatigue property of Cr-W-Mo-Ni-Mn-RE ferric-base hardfacing layer was investigated. The results show that the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks prefer the parts of oxidation and etching of the grain boundary, the joint efforts of cycle stress and oxidation at high temperatures are the main factors in the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks. When the temperatures is below 600 ℃, the Cr-W-Mo-Ni-Mn-RE ferric-base hardfacing layer has higher ability of thermal fatigue resistance. The function of the alloy and rare earth elements was discussed.

Microstructures and properties of non-preheated hardfacing welding

A new type of non-preheated hardfacing electrode was developed using H08A as the core and the coat contents including ferrotitaninm, ferrovanadium, graphite, rutile etc. The microstrnctures and properties of hardfacing metal were systematically researched. The results show the hardness of hardfacing metal increases with increasing of ferrotitanium, ferrovanadium, graphite in the coat, but the crack resistance and processing weldability become worse. The carbides formed by arc metallurgic reaction are uniformly dispersed in the matrix structure. The phases of hardfacing metal consist of α-Fe, γ-Fe, VC, TiC and Fe3 C.The carbides are compression aggregation of TiC and VC, and their appearances present irregular block. The matrix microstrncture of hardfacing metal is lath martensite. The hardfacing layers with better crack resistance and wearability are achieved and no visible cracks occur when using non-preheated electrode in continuous welding process. Hardness of hardfacing metal is more than 60HRC, and its relative wearability is five times of wearability of D667 electrode in abrasive wear test.

Effect of Thermal-Cold Cycle on Microstructure and Hardness of a W-Cr-Mn-Mo-V Ferro-based Hardfacing Layer

The effect of heating temperature and thermal-cold recycle times on microstructure and hardness of a W-Cr-Mn-Mo-V Ferro-based hardfacing layer was studied.The results show the surfacing layer has good high-temperature stability and ability to resist quench heat and heat softening.After thermal-cold recycle at 560°C??18°C for 120 times,the hardness of the hardfacing layer is HRC 57.5,its microstructure is mainly tempered martensite and a small amount of retained austenite,when thermal-cold recycled at 680°C??18°C for 120 times,the hardness of the hardfacing layer is HRC 44.5,martensite in the hardfacing layer has almost decomposed.

Sintering and Wear Behavior of a FeCrCB Hardfacing Alloy Applied by Tape Casting: A Study of Cooling Rate Effect

This study presents a simple process to deposit a hardfacing coating on a steel substrate, based on the sintering of metallic powder applied by tape casting (by a slurry of metallic powder suspension onto a steel substrate) thus avoiding the use of traditional welding processes and their variants. The effect of the cooling of hardfacing after the sintering process, by air at room temperature or by quenching in water, was studied. This new method ensures a good metallurgical bonding between the substrate steel and the hardfacing layer and shows mechanical property improvement on coated pieces, similar to those exhibited by hardfacing coatings produced by several kinds of welding processes. The characterization of the hardfacing coatings was made by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, microhardness and wear resistance according to the ASTM G65 standard. The characterization results show that the presented faces are: M7C3, M3C, MC, M2B and M23B6;there are three different phases in the micrograph glass phase, eutectic phase and hard phase with a volumetric fraction of 0.14, 0.20 and 0.66, respectively, for the air cooled and 0.15, 0.16 and 0.69 when quenched in water. The average microhardness value for the parts cooled in air was 832.5 HV and for that cooled in water was 958.9 HV, and the wear resistance was a mass loss of 0.219 and 0.128 g for parts cooled in air and water, respectively. These results show that the hardfacing coating could have twice the hardness and wear resistance than that observed for the boron steel used as a substrate.

Arc Stability Characterization of Double Coated Electrodes for Hardfacing

The aim of this work is to establish the influence of the relative position of the alloy charge C-Cr-Mn in the structure of the coating of rutile electrodes for hardfacing,on the operational behavior(arc stability).For this,three variants of electrodes with similar chemical composition are elaborated in the metallic core and the coating,differentiating only in the relative position that occupies the alloy charge(C-Cr-Mn)in the structure of the coating:internal,external and homogeneous.For the development of the research,a completely random design is used.The operative characterization of the electrodes is performed in terms of the arc stability.In conclusion,it can be seen that the position of the alloy load influences the operation behavior(stability of the arc).The variant of internal alloy charge in the coating presents the better arc stability performance.

A High-Fe Aluminum Matrix Welding Filler Metal for Hardfacing Aluminum-Silicon Alloys

A high Fe containing aluminum matrix filler metal for hardfacing aluminum silicon alloys has been developed by using iron,nickel,and silicon as the major strengthening elements,and by measuring mechanical properties,room temperature and high temperature wear tests,and microstructural analysis.The filler metal,which contains 3.0%-5.0% Fe and 11.0%-13.0% Si,exhibits an excellent weldability.The as cast and as welded microstructures for the filler metal are of uniformly distribution and its dispersed network of hard phase is enriched with Al Si Fe Ni.The filler metal shows high mechanical properties and wear resistance at both room temperature and high temperatures.The deposited metal has a better resistance to impact wear at 220℃ than that of substrate Al Si Mg Cu piston alloy;at room temperature,the deposited metal has an equivalent resistance to slide wear with lubrication as that of a hyper eutectic aluminum silicon alloy with 27% Si and 1% Ni.

Application of Response Surface Methodolody to Prediction of Dilution in Plasma Transferred Arc Hardfacing of Stainless Steel on Carbon Steel

The application of response surface methodology was highlighted to predict and optimize the percentage of dilution of iron-based hardfaced surface produced by the PTA （plasma tratisferred arc welding） process. The experiments were conducted based on five-factor five-level central composite rotatable design with full replication technique and a mathematical model was developed using response surface methodology. Furthermore, the response surface methodology was also used to optimize the process parameters that yielded the lowest percentage of dilution.

A New Type of Submerged-Arc Flux-Cored Wire Used for Hardfacing Continuous Casting Rolls

It is expected that the welding hardfacing of continuous casting rolls has better welding performance and higher wear resistance. A new type of submerged-arc hardfacing flux-cored wire has been developed through nitrogen replacing part of carbon and addition of the nitrogen-fixing elements of niobium and titanium. And microstructure, degree of hardness and high-temperature wear resistance of its deposited metal samples were also investigated. It is found that the microstructure is martensite, residual austenite and carbonitride precipitates. As a result, the hardfacing metal with homogeneous distribution of very fine carbonitride particles had high hardness and excellent wear-re- sisting property during high-temperature wear, which could significantly extend the service life of continuous casting rolls.