Tribological Performance of High-Chromium Cast Irons: Effect of Chromium Content, Amount of Chromium Carbides (M₇C₃) and Loading Conditions on Wear Resistance

IF 3.3 3区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL

Tribology Letters Pub Date : 2025-07-13 DOI:10.1007/s11249-025-02040-w

Rudy Jaramillo, Dario F. Zambrano, Paulina Valenzuela, William Gacitúa, Andreas Rosenkranz

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Abstract

Selecting cost-effective materials for high-wear applications requires the exploration of alternative materials such as high-chromium cast irons regarding the resulting wear resistance and energy efficiency, justifying potential cost reductions. Our study investigates the tribological performance of high-chromium cast irons depending on the adjusted chromium content (11, 15, and 30 wt.-%) and heat treatment. In this regard, the resulting microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear resistance were analyzed, comparing the performance of high-chromium cast irons with benchmarking high-carbon steel. Complementary materials characterization combined with nanoindentation revealed that an increasing chromium content induced a higher volume fraction of eutectic carbides (M₇C₃), thus improving the wear resistance. The sample containing 30 wt.-% of Cr exhibited the lowest wear rate due to its dense carbide network, which acted as a physical barrier against abrasion. While hardness remained stable, the elastic modulus increased with carbide content, indicating a greater material stiffness. Our findings underscore the importance of optimizing the alloy composition and heat treatment to improve the durability and efficiency of materials used in abrasive environments thus providing valuable insights to develop advanced tribological solutions, contributing to energy savings and reduced CO₂ emissions.

Graphical Abstract

查看原文本刊更多论文

高铬铸铁的摩擦学性能：铬含量、碳化铬量（M₇C₃）和加载条件对耐磨性的影响

为高磨损应用选择具有成本效益的材料需要探索替代材料，如高铬铸铁，考虑其耐磨性和能源效率，证明潜在的成本降低是合理的。我们的研究调查了高铬铸铁的摩擦学性能，这取决于调整铬含量（11%，15%和30wt .-%）和热处理。在这方面，分析了所得的显微组织、力学性能和耐磨性，并将高铬铸铁与基准高碳钢的性能进行了比较。互补材料表征结合纳米压痕表明，铬含量的增加导致共晶碳化物（M7C3）体积分数的增加，从而提高了耐磨性。含Cr量为30wt .-%的样品由于其致密的碳化物网络作为物理屏障而表现出最低的磨损率。当硬度保持稳定时，弹性模量随碳化物含量的增加而增加，表明材料刚度增大。我们的研究结果强调了优化合金成分和热处理的重要性，以提高在磨蚀环境中使用的材料的耐久性和效率，从而为开发先进的摩擦学解决方案提供了有价值的见解，有助于节省能源和减少二氧化碳排放。图形抽象

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来源期刊

Tribology Letters 工程技术-工程：化工

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

9.40%

发文量

116

审稿时长

2.5 months

期刊介绍： Tribology Letters is devoted to the development of the science of tribology and its applications, particularly focusing on publishing high-quality papers at the forefront of tribological science and that address the fundamentals of friction, lubrication, wear, or adhesion. The journal facilitates communication and exchange of seminal ideas among thousands of practitioners who are engaged worldwide in the pursuit of tribology-based science and technology.