Evaluation of the milling efficiency increase of AISI 52100 steel using niobium carbide addition through high energy ball milling

The AISI 52100 is a tool-type steel and is more often used in industry for the production of bearings. After the end of its life cycle, it is discarded or remelted, but both processes are considered expensive. Thus, the possibility of reusing this material through the powder metallurgy (PM) route is considered advantageous, since it transforms a waste into another product. To obtain the starting powders, the AISI 52100 steel scrap was submitted to a process of high energy ball milling, which was milled pure and with 1 and 3 % of niobium carbide (NbC) additions. Those additions were performed with the intention of increasing the milling efficiency of the steel, through formation of a metal-ceramic composite with a ductile-fragile behaviour. To determine the morphology and particle size, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size distribution tests were used. The results indicated that with the carbide addition, a significant increase in the milling efficiency was achieved, being possible to obtain nanoparticles after 20 hours of milling time.