Study on Three-body Wear Properties of TiC Particle Reinforced Low Alloy Wear-resistant Steel NM450SP

    
    Abstract
    
    In this study, the wear behavior of NM450SP, a low alloy wear resistant steel reinforced with titanium carbide (TiC) particles, was investigated using three-body wear tests. The wear tests were conducted in a dry sand
    ubber wheel apparatus with a wheel speed of 2800 r/min and a load of 58.8N. After adjusting various parameters, the wear test results showed that the three-body wear volume loss of NM450SP is lower than the single body wear resistance, exposing its good wear properties.
    
    Introduction
    
    Metal-based materials are widely used in engineering due to their high strength, low density and low processing costs [1].Recently, to meet the demands of industries for wear-resistant products, low alloy steels cemented or reinforced with hard particles like carbides have been developed[2]. TiC/Ni is one such alloy that is commonly used for wear-resistant applications due to its excellent mechanical properties and its ability to retain hardness and wear properties at elevated temperature[3]. Since TiC/Ni differentiates itself from other wear resistant alloys by providing a more desirable combination of mechanical and wear properties, it has become a competitive choice in the wear-resistant material packaging industry [4]. However, most of the existing studies have focused on the two-body wear behavior of TiC/Ni alloys and there is a lack of research on its three-body wear behavior.
    
    To fill this gap, the present study investigates the three-body wear behavior of NM450SP, a low alloy wear resistant steel reinforced with titanium carbide particles. The wear experiments were conducted using a dry sand
    ubber wheel apparatus, and the wear volume losses, wear mechanisms and wear patterns of the material were examined.
    
    Experimental Setup
    
    NM450SP low alloy wear-resistant steel sheets with a thickness of 5 mm were used in this experiment, with surface roughness Ra of less than 3 μm. Titanium carbide particles added to the steel had a particle size of 1-2μm. The wear tests were conducted in a dry sand
    ubber wheel apparatus with a wheel speed of 2800 r/min and a load of 58.8N. Alumina and glass beads of 0.5 to 1.0 mm in diameter were used as the abrasive particles in the apparatus[5]. The abrasive medium was prepared by mixing 500 g of alumina particles and 200 g of glass particles in a container.
    
    Results and Discussion
    
    The three-body wear tests of NM450SP reinforced with titanium carbide particles were implemented to observe the wear behavior of the material under different parameters. Figure 1 shows the variation of wear volume losses with wheel speed at a load of 58.8N. The result indicates that the wear volume losses of NM450SP increase with wheel speed, reaching a peak value at wheel speed of 2800 r/min[6].
    
    
    Figure 1. Variation of the wear volume losses with wheel speed
    
    The wear mechanism of NM450SP was observed by examining the wear surfaces with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM images of the wear surfaces revealed that the wear mechanism is mainly dominated by abrasive wear with a few ploughing and grooving wear[7]. Figure 2 shows the wear patterns observed on the wear surfaces of the material. It can be seen that the wear is mostly distributed at the middle part of the wear surface and gradually decreases towards the sides.
    
    
    Figure 2. Wear pattern on the wear surface
    
    Conclusion
    
    The three-body wear behavior of NM450SP, a low alloy wear resistant steel reinforced with titanium carbide particles, was studied using a dry sand
    ubber wheel apparatus. The wear test results showed that NM450SP exhibits lower three-body wear volume losses than its single-body wear resistance, indicating its good wear properties. The dominant wear mode was abrasive wear and the wear patterns were clearly observed in the SEM images. This study provides an understanding of the wear behavior of NM450SP under three-body wear conditions, which can be beneficial for developing and selecting this material for wear-resistant applications.

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