Effect of TiC particles on three-body abrasive wear behavior of low alloy abrasion-resistant steel

    
    Low alloy abrasion-resistant steels, also known as AR (Abrasion Resistant) steels, are becoming increasingly popular as an option for industrial components that require superior abrasion resistance. These steels are typically composed of relatively low carbon levels, around 0.2-0.3%. They also contain other alloying elements, usually manganese, chromium, and molybdenum, along with other metal elements such as phosphorus and silicon, to enhance the mechanical properties of the steel and provide improved corrosion resistance.
    
    Among methods designed to further improve the abrasion resistance of AR steels, the introduction of hard particles, such as titanium carbide (TiC), has been shown to enhance wear and friction of AR steels. TiC is an extremely hard and abrasive material, and its addition to a metal matrix provides additional protection against abrasive and impact wear. Specifically, the addition of TiC particles is known to increase surface hardness, enhance fracture toughness, and reduce material plastic flow through triboparticles interaction.
    
    The purpose of this article is to describe the effect of TiC particles on the three-body abrasive wear behavior of low alloy abrasion resistant steel. A three-body abrasive wear test was conducted using a conventional abrasive wear test rig (AWT04) with three stainless-steel ball as the abrasive particles, each made from Borazon-coated particles with three different grades, namely 120, 240, and 400. The sample material used was a low-alloy, abrasion resistant steel (ARSteel) containing up to 0.40% carbon, 3.50% manganese and other alloying elements such as chromium, molybdenum, phosphorus, and silicon. The pin specimens were cut with dimensions of 10x2x2mm, then heat treated with a homogenizing anneal at 920°C, followed by quenching in hot oil (1050 °C) and tempering at 600 °C before undergoing 100% penetration ultrasonic examination. Then, the samples were coated with TiC particles using plasma transfer arc welding (PTAW).
    
    The results of the three-body abrasive wear test showed that the addition of TiC particles increased the surface hardness and fracture toughness of the AR steel. This is mainly due to the Triboparticles interactions between the hard surface of the TiC particles and softer surface of the AR steel, which provides an increase in friction and wear resistance. Further, the TiC particles acted as a cushioning effect, which reduced the material’s plastic flow, leading to a reduction in the wear rate. The presence of TiC particles also increased the surface hardness, leading to a higher wear resistance to the three different grades of abrasive particles (120, 240, and 400).
    
    In conclusion, TiC particles are a viable option to enhance the wear resistance of AR steels against three-body abrasive wear. The increased surface hardness and fracture toughness of the TiC-coated AR steels improves the wear resistance and reduces the plastic flow of the material. Additionally, the presence of TiC particles acts as a cushioning effect, reducing the wear rate of the three different grade abrasive particles. Consequently, the use of TiC particles is an effective strategy to enhance the wear resistance of AR steels in three-body abrasive wear tests.

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