Production and Characterization of Austenitic Stainless Steel Cast Parts Reinforced with WC Particles Fabricated by Ex Situ Technique

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Moreira, AB (Author) FEUP; Laura Ribeiro (Author) FEUP; Lacerda, P (Author) Other; Pinto, AMP (Author) Other; Vieira, MF (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Materials

Final page: 7855

ISSN: 1996-1944

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 4 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-W9N

DOI: 10.3390/ma14247855

Abstract (EN): In this work, austenitic stainless steel specimens were locally reinforced with WC particles. The reinforcements were fabricated via an ex situ technique based on powder technology. Mixtures of WC, Fe, and M0101 binder were cold-pressed to obtain powder compacts. After debinding and sintering, the porous WC-Fe inserts were fixed in a mold cavity, where they reacted with liquid metal. Microstructural analysis was conducted for characterization of the phases constituting the produced reinforcement zone and the bonding interface. The results revealed that the reinforcement is a graded material with compositional and microstructural gradients throughout its thickness. The zone nearest to the surface has a ferrous matrix with homogeneously distributed WC particles and (Fe,W,Cr)(6)C and (Fe,W,Cr)(3)C carbides, formed from the liquid metal reaction with the insert. This precipitation leads to austenite destabilization, which transforms into martensite during cooling. A vast dissolution of the WC particles occurred in the inner zones, resulting in more intense carbides formation. Cr-rich carbides ((Fe,Cr,W)(7)C-3, and (Fe,Cr,W)(23)C-6) formed in the interdendritic regions of austenite; this zone is characterized by coarse dendrites of austenite and a multi-phase interdendritic network composed of carbides. An interface free of discontinuities and porosities indicates good bonding of the reinforcement zone to stainless steel.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 18