The granular carbides formed from hot deformation in multiple alloying wear resistant cast iron were studied through the observation by means of optical microscope, SEM and TEM. The experimental results show that carb...The granular carbides formed from hot deformation in multiple alloying wear resistant cast iron were studied through the observation by means of optical microscope, SEM and TEM. The experimental results show that carbides with large size are formed from original short rhabdoid carbides existing in cast, those with small size directly nucleate in the matrix. Carbides with the size between the above are formed from precipitation induced by hot deformation. The bigger the deformation is, the larger the number of microsized granular carbides is. The mechanisms of nucleation and growth of granular carbides and the function of RE were discussed.展开更多
The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack and the function of RE and heat treatment in wear resistance of cast iron containing low alloy were investigated,and it was analyzed in view of the activation energy f...The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack and the function of RE and heat treatment in wear resistance of cast iron containing low alloy were investigated,and it was analyzed in view of the activation energy for the crack′s propagation. The results show that the thermal fatigue cracks are mainly generated at eutectic carbides,and the cracks are grown by themselves spreading and joining each other. RE can improve the eutectic carbide′s morphology,inhibit the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks,therefore,promote the activation energy for the crack′s propagation,and especially,which is more noticeable in case of the RE modification in combination with heat treatment.展开更多
The Influence of RE on wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy was studied by means of slide wear and impact wear test. Moreover, its microstructure and characteristics of wearing surface was ...The Influence of RE on wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy was studied by means of slide wear and impact wear test. Moreover, its microstructure and characteristics of wearing surface was analyzed. The experimental results show that RE can improve the wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy, especially for impact wear resistance. The optimum wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy modified by RE of 0.046% can be obtained by normalization at 950 ℃ for 3 h. Moreover, the coordinated effect of rare earths and heat treatment was also revealed in this paper.展开更多
The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack in chromium wear resistant cast iron was investigated, and the effect of hot deformation on the crack was analyzed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron...The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack in chromium wear resistant cast iron was investigated, and the effect of hot deformation on the crack was analyzed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope and high frequency induction thermal fatigue tester. The results show that eutectic carbide is the main location and passage for initiation and extension of thermal fatigue cracks, hot deformation can improve the eutectic carbiders morphology and distribution, inhibit the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks. In the experiment, the propagation rate of thermal fatigue crack reduces with the quantity of hot deformation increasing, which was analyzed in the point view of the activation energy of crack propagation.展开更多
The morphology of carbides, as well as the generation and propagation of fatigue cracks in a wear resistant white cast iron after impact fatigue test were observed by means of optical microscope and SEM, and the relat...The morphology of carbides, as well as the generation and propagation of fatigue cracks in a wear resistant white cast iron after impact fatigue test were observed by means of optical microscope and SEM, and the relationship among the content of RE (rare earths) in the wear resistant white cast iron and the heating temperature as well as the length and propagation speed of the fatigue cracks were determined. Based on the obtained results, the effect of RE modification and heat treatment on the impact fatigue property was further studied. Experimental results show that addition of RE can defer the time required for the generation of fatigue cracks, reduce their propagation speed and increase the impact fatigue resistance. The aforesaid effect is more noticeable in case of combined RE modification with heat treatment, which can be attributed to the variation in morphology and the distribution of the eutectic carbide network.展开更多
In this work, an in situ synthesized TiC-reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) coating of approximately 350-400μm thickness was fabricated on a gray cast iron (GCI) substrate by plasma transferred arc (PTA) s...In this work, an in situ synthesized TiC-reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) coating of approximately 350-400μm thickness was fabricated on a gray cast iron (GCI) substrate by plasma transferred arc (PTA) surface alloying of Ti-Fe alloy powder. Microhard- ness tests showed that the surface hardness increased approximately four-fold after the alloying treatment. The microstructure of the MMC coating was mainly composed of residual austenite, acicular martensite, and eutectic ledeburite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analyzes revealed that the in situ TiC particles, which were formed by direct reaction of Ti with carbon originally contained in the GCI, was uniformly distributed at the boundary of residual anstenite in the alloying zone. Pin-on-disc high-temperature wear tests were performed on samples both with and without the MMC coating at room temperature and at elevated temperatures (473 K and 623 K), and the wear behavior and mechanism were investigated. The results showed that, after the PTA alloying treatment, the wear resistance of the sam- ples improved significantly. On the basis of our analysis of the composite coatings by optical microscopy, SEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements, we attributed this improvement of wear resistance to the transformation of the microstruc- ture and to the presence of TiC particles.展开更多
The effect of cooling rate after 40% hot deformation on structure and mechanical properties of low alloy wear resistance cast iron was investigated by metallographic, scanning electron microscopes and detection of pro...The effect of cooling rate after 40% hot deformation on structure and mechanical properties of low alloy wear resistance cast iron was investigated by metallographic, scanning electron microscopes and detection of properties. The results show that for the cast steel after deformed, the amount of granular carbides of precipitation during the cooling decreased with the increase of the cooling rate, but the hardness was obviously enhanced, as a result, better mechanical properties will be obtained by force air cooling(cooling rate is about 7 ℃·s-1). And the reason of the change for structure and mechanical properties of the cast steel were analyzed.展开更多
The effect of cooling rate on structure and properties of wear-resistant low chromium cast iron after 40% hot deformation was investigated by metallographic and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the ...The effect of cooling rate on structure and properties of wear-resistant low chromium cast iron after 40% hot deformation was investigated by metallographic and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the cooling rate is closely related to the structure and properties, and for the cast iron, the best comprehensive mechanical properties were obtained by forced air cooling with a cooling rate as about 7 ℃/s. The reason and regularity for the change of mechanical properties were analyzed.展开更多
The influence of rare earths content on carbide morphology and mechanical properties of wear resistance of white cast iron was studied by means of metallographic examination,scanning electron microscopic examination a...The influence of rare earths content on carbide morphology and mechanical properties of wear resistance of white cast iron was studied by means of metallographic examination,scanning electron microscopic examination and mechanical property test. The experiment results show that RE can change carbides from continuous network to isolated particles and improve the mechanical properties,especially in combination with proper heat treatment. The optimum properties of wear resistance of white cast iron modified by RE of 0.045% can be obtained by normalization at 960 ℃ for 2 h.展开更多
The influence of heating temperature on mechanical properties of low chromium wear resistant cast iron containing rare earth elements was studied by means of metallographic examination, scanning electron microscopic e...The influence of heating temperature on mechanical properties of low chromium wear resistant cast iron containing rare earth elements was studied by means of metallographic examination, scanning electron microscopic examination and mechanical property test. The experimental results show that heating temperature has great effect on impact toughness (α_k), bending fatigue (σ_(bb)) and relative toughness (σ_(bb)×f), but little effect on hardness (HRC). When the specimen was held at 960 ℃ for 3 h, it has better comprehensive mechanical properties, and the reason and regularity of the change for mechanical properties of the cast iron were reviewed.展开更多
Inoculation of high chromium cast iron is made by RE complex inoculant. Influence of inoculating on rolling fatigue wear characteristics of high chromium cast iron is investigated. The experimental resutls indicate th...Inoculation of high chromium cast iron is made by RE complex inoculant. Influence of inoculating on rolling fatigue wear characteristics of high chromium cast iron is investigated. The experimental resutls indicate that high chromium cast iron inoculated by RE complex inoculation is improved in structure and properties, i. e. fatigue wear sevice life is prolonged and relative wear resistance is increased greatly.展开更多
High chromium cast iron(HCCI) is taken as material of coal water slurry pump impeller, but it is susceptible to produce serious abrasive wear and erosion wear because of souring of hard coal particles. The research ...High chromium cast iron(HCCI) is taken as material of coal water slurry pump impeller, but it is susceptible to produce serious abrasive wear and erosion wear because of souring of hard coal particles. The research on optimization of heat treatments to improve abrasive wear properties of HCCI is insufficient, so effect of heat treatments on the microstructure, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance of Cr26 HCCI is investigated to determine the optimal heat treatment process for HCCI. A series of heat treatments are employed. The microstructures of HCCI specimens are examined by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The hardness and impact fracture toughness of as-cast and heat treated specimens are measured. The wear tests are assessed by a Type M200 ring-on block wear tester. The results show the following: With increase of the quenching temperature from 950 ℃ to 1050 ℃, the hardness of Cr26 HCCI increased to a certain value, kept for a time and then decreased. The optimal heat treatment process is 2 h quenching treatment at 1000 ℃, followed by a subsequent 2 h tempering at 400 ℃. The hardness of HCCI is related to the precipitation and redissolution of secondary carbides in the process of heat treatment. The subsequent tempering treatment would result in a slight decrease of hardness but increase of toughness. The wear resistance is much related to the "supporting" effect of the matrix and the "protective" effect of the hard carbide embedded in the matrix, and the wear resistance is further dependent on the hardness and the toughness of the matrix. This research can provide an important insight on developing an optimized heat treatment method to improve the wear resistance of HCCI.展开更多
The low-energy, multi-impact fracture resistance and the abrasiveness of the cross-rolled low alloy white cast iron grinding balls were studied after heat treatments at residual rolling temperature. Moreover, the mean...The low-energy, multi-impact fracture resistance and the abrasiveness of the cross-rolled low alloy white cast iron grinding balls were studied after heat treatments at residual rolling temperature. Moreover, the means by which they are damaged and characters of the wear surface were analyzed. The results show that high resistance to impact fracture and high abrasiveness can be achieved after appropriate heat treatment at residual rolling temperature. This kind of heat treatment technology has several advantages under low impact and hard abrasive. These results are very useful for determining the optimized heat treatment technology at residual rolling temperatures.展开更多
The surface of nodular cast iron (NCI) with a ferrite substrate was rapidly remelted and solidified by plasma transferred arc (PTA) to induce a chilled structure with high hardness and favorable wear resistance. T...The surface of nodular cast iron (NCI) with a ferrite substrate was rapidly remelted and solidified by plasma transferred arc (PTA) to induce a chilled structure with high hardness and favorable wear resistance. The effect of scanning speed on the microstructure, micro-hardness distribution, and wear properties of PTA-remelted specimens was systematically investigated. Microstructural characterization in-dicated that the PTA remelting treatment could dissolve most graphite nodules and that the crystallized primary austenite dendrites were transformed into cementite, martensite, an interdendritic network of ledeburite eutectic, and certain residual austenite during rapid solidifica-tion. The dimensions of the remelted zone and its dendrites increase with decreased scanning speed. The microhardness of the remelted zone varied in the range of 650 HV0.2 to 820 HV0.2, which is approximately 2.3-3.1 times higher than the hardness of the substrate. The wear re-sistance of NCI was also significantly improved after the PTA remelting treatment.展开更多
A low-alloy gray cast iron containing hard carbide-forming elements, such as vanadium and chromium, was cast by sand mould casting. Its wear resistance was compared with that of an untreated gray cast iron. Three diff...A low-alloy gray cast iron containing hard carbide-forming elements, such as vanadium and chromium, was cast by sand mould casting. Its wear resistance was compared with that of an untreated gray cast iron. Three different loading conditions were tested under a con- stant speed. It was observed that this alloy could reduce the wear loss of standard gray cast iron by up to 89%, which was much greater than what was achieved in previous reports. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the predominant wear mechanism of both the alloys. In a mild wear regime, the oxidative mechanism was predominant; however, in a severe wear regime, this mechanism was not predominant and the adhesive mechanism was involved. EDX analysis was conducted to evaluate the quantitative amounts of elements in the tribochemical films formed on the wear tracks.展开更多
To improve wear resistance of surface will increase the service life of gray cast iron directly. This paper presents that gray cast iron surface coated with alloy powder is locally remelted by TIG arc to increase the ...To improve wear resistance of surface will increase the service life of gray cast iron directly. This paper presents that gray cast iron surface coated with alloy powder is locally remelted by TIG arc to increase the wear resistance. The influences of arc current and scanning rate etc on surface properties are found. Under different conditions, the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of remelted layer are analyzed and measured. The results indicate that the gray cast iron surface can be strengthened by TIG arc local remelting treatment. Especially, surface alloying hardening effect is best and surface properties are improved remarkably.展开更多
In the paper, the effect of niobium addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of high chromium cast iron has been studied. The results show that the microstructure of the heattreated al...In the paper, the effect of niobium addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of high chromium cast iron has been studied. The results show that the microstructure of the heattreated alloys is composed of M7C3 and M23C6 types primary carbide, eutectic carbide, secondary carbide and a matrix of martensite and retained austenite. NbC particles appear both inside and on the edge of the primary carbides. The hardness of the studied alloys maintains around 66 HRC, not significantly affected by the Nb content within the selected range of 0.48%-0.74%. The impact toughness of the alloys increases with increasing niobium content. The wear resistance of the specimens presents little variation in spite of the increase of Nb content under a light load of 40 N. However, when heavier loads of 70 and 100 N are applied, the wear resistance increases with increasing Nb content.展开更多
文摘The granular carbides formed from hot deformation in multiple alloying wear resistant cast iron were studied through the observation by means of optical microscope, SEM and TEM. The experimental results show that carbides with large size are formed from original short rhabdoid carbides existing in cast, those with small size directly nucleate in the matrix. Carbides with the size between the above are formed from precipitation induced by hot deformation. The bigger the deformation is, the larger the number of microsized granular carbides is. The mechanisms of nucleation and growth of granular carbides and the function of RE were discussed.
文摘The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack and the function of RE and heat treatment in wear resistance of cast iron containing low alloy were investigated,and it was analyzed in view of the activation energy for the crack′s propagation. The results show that the thermal fatigue cracks are mainly generated at eutectic carbides,and the cracks are grown by themselves spreading and joining each other. RE can improve the eutectic carbide′s morphology,inhibit the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks,therefore,promote the activation energy for the crack′s propagation,and especially,which is more noticeable in case of the RE modification in combination with heat treatment.
文摘The Influence of RE on wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy was studied by means of slide wear and impact wear test. Moreover, its microstructure and characteristics of wearing surface was analyzed. The experimental results show that RE can improve the wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy, especially for impact wear resistance. The optimum wear resistance of wear resistant cast iron containing low alloy modified by RE of 0.046% can be obtained by normalization at 950 ℃ for 3 h. Moreover, the coordinated effect of rare earths and heat treatment was also revealed in this paper.
基金ItemSponsored by Guiding Programof Science and Technology Research of Jilin Province of China (20000513)
文摘The formation and growth of thermal fatigue crack in chromium wear resistant cast iron was investigated, and the effect of hot deformation on the crack was analyzed by means of optical microscope and scanning electron microscope and high frequency induction thermal fatigue tester. The results show that eutectic carbide is the main location and passage for initiation and extension of thermal fatigue cracks, hot deformation can improve the eutectic carbiders morphology and distribution, inhibit the generation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks. In the experiment, the propagation rate of thermal fatigue crack reduces with the quantity of hot deformation increasing, which was analyzed in the point view of the activation energy of crack propagation.
文摘The morphology of carbides, as well as the generation and propagation of fatigue cracks in a wear resistant white cast iron after impact fatigue test were observed by means of optical microscope and SEM, and the relationship among the content of RE (rare earths) in the wear resistant white cast iron and the heating temperature as well as the length and propagation speed of the fatigue cracks were determined. Based on the obtained results, the effect of RE modification and heat treatment on the impact fatigue property was further studied. Experimental results show that addition of RE can defer the time required for the generation of fatigue cracks, reduce their propagation speed and increase the impact fatigue resistance. The aforesaid effect is more noticeable in case of combined RE modification with heat treatment, which can be attributed to the variation in morphology and the distribution of the eutectic carbide network.
基金financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (No. 2012ZX04010-081)the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (No. 2013AA040404)
文摘In this work, an in situ synthesized TiC-reinforced metal matrix composite (MMC) coating of approximately 350-400μm thickness was fabricated on a gray cast iron (GCI) substrate by plasma transferred arc (PTA) surface alloying of Ti-Fe alloy powder. Microhard- ness tests showed that the surface hardness increased approximately four-fold after the alloying treatment. The microstructure of the MMC coating was mainly composed of residual austenite, acicular martensite, and eutectic ledeburite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analyzes revealed that the in situ TiC particles, which were formed by direct reaction of Ti with carbon originally contained in the GCI, was uniformly distributed at the boundary of residual anstenite in the alloying zone. Pin-on-disc high-temperature wear tests were performed on samples both with and without the MMC coating at room temperature and at elevated temperatures (473 K and 623 K), and the wear behavior and mechanism were investigated. The results showed that, after the PTA alloying treatment, the wear resistance of the sam- ples improved significantly. On the basis of our analysis of the composite coatings by optical microscopy, SEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and microhardness measurements, we attributed this improvement of wear resistance to the transformation of the microstruc- ture and to the presence of TiC particles.
文摘The effect of cooling rate after 40% hot deformation on structure and mechanical properties of low alloy wear resistance cast iron was investigated by metallographic, scanning electron microscopes and detection of properties. The results show that for the cast steel after deformed, the amount of granular carbides of precipitation during the cooling decreased with the increase of the cooling rate, but the hardness was obviously enhanced, as a result, better mechanical properties will be obtained by force air cooling(cooling rate is about 7 ℃·s-1). And the reason of the change for structure and mechanical properties of the cast steel were analyzed.
文摘The effect of cooling rate on structure and properties of wear-resistant low chromium cast iron after 40% hot deformation was investigated by metallographic and scanning electron microscope. The results show that the cooling rate is closely related to the structure and properties, and for the cast iron, the best comprehensive mechanical properties were obtained by forced air cooling with a cooling rate as about 7 ℃/s. The reason and regularity for the change of mechanical properties were analyzed.
文摘The influence of rare earths content on carbide morphology and mechanical properties of wear resistance of white cast iron was studied by means of metallographic examination,scanning electron microscopic examination and mechanical property test. The experiment results show that RE can change carbides from continuous network to isolated particles and improve the mechanical properties,especially in combination with proper heat treatment. The optimum properties of wear resistance of white cast iron modified by RE of 0.045% can be obtained by normalization at 960 ℃ for 2 h.
文摘The influence of heating temperature on mechanical properties of low chromium wear resistant cast iron containing rare earth elements was studied by means of metallographic examination, scanning electron microscopic examination and mechanical property test. The experimental results show that heating temperature has great effect on impact toughness (α_k), bending fatigue (σ_(bb)) and relative toughness (σ_(bb)×f), but little effect on hardness (HRC). When the specimen was held at 960 ℃ for 3 h, it has better comprehensive mechanical properties, and the reason and regularity of the change for mechanical properties of the cast iron were reviewed.
文摘Inoculation of high chromium cast iron is made by RE complex inoculant. Influence of inoculating on rolling fatigue wear characteristics of high chromium cast iron is investigated. The experimental resutls indicate that high chromium cast iron inoculated by RE complex inoculation is improved in structure and properties, i. e. fatigue wear sevice life is prolonged and relative wear resistance is increased greatly.
基金Supported by National Hi-tech Research and Development Program of China(863 Program,Grant No.2013BAF01B01)
文摘High chromium cast iron(HCCI) is taken as material of coal water slurry pump impeller, but it is susceptible to produce serious abrasive wear and erosion wear because of souring of hard coal particles. The research on optimization of heat treatments to improve abrasive wear properties of HCCI is insufficient, so effect of heat treatments on the microstructure, hardness, toughness, and wear resistance of Cr26 HCCI is investigated to determine the optimal heat treatment process for HCCI. A series of heat treatments are employed. The microstructures of HCCI specimens are examined by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The hardness and impact fracture toughness of as-cast and heat treated specimens are measured. The wear tests are assessed by a Type M200 ring-on block wear tester. The results show the following: With increase of the quenching temperature from 950 ℃ to 1050 ℃, the hardness of Cr26 HCCI increased to a certain value, kept for a time and then decreased. The optimal heat treatment process is 2 h quenching treatment at 1000 ℃, followed by a subsequent 2 h tempering at 400 ℃. The hardness of HCCI is related to the precipitation and redissolution of secondary carbides in the process of heat treatment. The subsequent tempering treatment would result in a slight decrease of hardness but increase of toughness. The wear resistance is much related to the "supporting" effect of the matrix and the "protective" effect of the hard carbide embedded in the matrix, and the wear resistance is further dependent on the hardness and the toughness of the matrix. This research can provide an important insight on developing an optimized heat treatment method to improve the wear resistance of HCCI.
基金Item Sponsored by Guiding Program of Science and Technology Research of Jilin Province of China (20000513)
文摘The low-energy, multi-impact fracture resistance and the abrasiveness of the cross-rolled low alloy white cast iron grinding balls were studied after heat treatments at residual rolling temperature. Moreover, the means by which they are damaged and characters of the wear surface were analyzed. The results show that high resistance to impact fracture and high abrasiveness can be achieved after appropriate heat treatment at residual rolling temperature. This kind of heat treatment technology has several advantages under low impact and hard abrasive. These results are very useful for determining the optimized heat treatment technology at residual rolling temperatures.
基金financially supported by the Key Project of China National Erzhong Group Co.(No.2012zx04010-081)
文摘The surface of nodular cast iron (NCI) with a ferrite substrate was rapidly remelted and solidified by plasma transferred arc (PTA) to induce a chilled structure with high hardness and favorable wear resistance. The effect of scanning speed on the microstructure, micro-hardness distribution, and wear properties of PTA-remelted specimens was systematically investigated. Microstructural characterization in-dicated that the PTA remelting treatment could dissolve most graphite nodules and that the crystallized primary austenite dendrites were transformed into cementite, martensite, an interdendritic network of ledeburite eutectic, and certain residual austenite during rapid solidifica-tion. The dimensions of the remelted zone and its dendrites increase with decreased scanning speed. The microhardness of the remelted zone varied in the range of 650 HV0.2 to 820 HV0.2, which is approximately 2.3-3.1 times higher than the hardness of the substrate. The wear re-sistance of NCI was also significantly improved after the PTA remelting treatment.
文摘A low-alloy gray cast iron containing hard carbide-forming elements, such as vanadium and chromium, was cast by sand mould casting. Its wear resistance was compared with that of an untreated gray cast iron. Three different loading conditions were tested under a con- stant speed. It was observed that this alloy could reduce the wear loss of standard gray cast iron by up to 89%, which was much greater than what was achieved in previous reports. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the predominant wear mechanism of both the alloys. In a mild wear regime, the oxidative mechanism was predominant; however, in a severe wear regime, this mechanism was not predominant and the adhesive mechanism was involved. EDX analysis was conducted to evaluate the quantitative amounts of elements in the tribochemical films formed on the wear tracks.
文摘To improve wear resistance of surface will increase the service life of gray cast iron directly. This paper presents that gray cast iron surface coated with alloy powder is locally remelted by TIG arc to increase the wear resistance. The influences of arc current and scanning rate etc on surface properties are found. Under different conditions, the microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of remelted layer are analyzed and measured. The results indicate that the gray cast iron surface can be strengthened by TIG arc local remelting treatment. Especially, surface alloying hardening effect is best and surface properties are improved remarkably.
基金financially supported by the Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangdong Province(Nos.2010A080407002,2011A080802003,2011A091000035,2012B090600030)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.21612105)
文摘In the paper, the effect of niobium addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of high chromium cast iron has been studied. The results show that the microstructure of the heattreated alloys is composed of M7C3 and M23C6 types primary carbide, eutectic carbide, secondary carbide and a matrix of martensite and retained austenite. NbC particles appear both inside and on the edge of the primary carbides. The hardness of the studied alloys maintains around 66 HRC, not significantly affected by the Nb content within the selected range of 0.48%-0.74%. The impact toughness of the alloys increases with increasing niobium content. The wear resistance of the specimens presents little variation in spite of the increase of Nb content under a light load of 40 N. However, when heavier loads of 70 and 100 N are applied, the wear resistance increases with increasing Nb content.