Influence of testing conditions on wear of FeAl-Al2O3 composite materials
Aleksy Patejuk, Bazyli Krupicz Politechnika Białostocka, Wydział Mechaniczny, ul. Wiejska 45C, 15-950 Białystok
Quarterly No. 4, 2005 pages 88-92
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abstract In the paper, the authors presented results of testing on composite material that was prepared using powder metallurgy method. Testing samples were prepared in two-stage technological process, i.e. during pressing and sintering. Output materials for composite materials included following powders: iron, aluminium and reinforcement phase (Al2O3 particles). Produced samples had forms of cylinders of 10 mm diameters and 10÷12 mm high. Linear microanalysis of chemical constitution confirmed that Fe and Al were main components of the matrix. FeAl phase constituted this matrix. Increased concentration of nickel in the matrix area adherent directly to phase separation border was noted in the composite material samples reinforced with Al2O3 particles with nickel layer (Fig. 2). Conducted tests showed that the amount of Al2O3 reinforcement phase influences the level of the material wear (Fig. 3). It was recorded that increase in share of reinforcement phase (up till 25%) improves its resistance to abrasive wear. When reinforcement phase exceeds the level of 15% share in the material the increase in resistance to abrasive wear is relatively small - especially in the case of applying reinforcement with nickel layer (Fig. 3b). Conducted tests of erosion resistance confirmed that applying reinforcement of Al2O3 particles results in decreasing unit wear of the tested material. The size of the reinforcement phase particles (f0 and f1) does not significantly influence unit wear of the composite material samples (when comparable content of the phase was provided). Yet, the particles surface conditions (i.e. whether the reinforcement phase particles had the nickel layer or not) substantially influence the level of the wear (Fig. 4). Results obtained from the experiment (Fig. 5) are highly similar to the results obtained during erosion tests. No significant decrease in resistance to wear was recorded as a result of increase in reinforcement phase share. Yet, substantial improvement in resistance to wear was recorded when nickel layer on Al2O3 particles was applied. Key words: composite material, intermetallic phase-FeAl, reinforcement-Al2O3 particles, abrasive wear, hydroabrasive wear and erosion wear