Effect of sintering temperature on the electrochemical, hardness and tribological properties of aluminide-reinforced austenitic stainless steel

The present study investigates the effect of aluminide (Fe3Al and Ni3Al) addition and sintering temperature on the densification, hardness, wear and electrochemical behavior of austenitic (316L) stainless steels. As compared to solid-state sintering (1200 °C), supersolidus sintering (1400 °C) improves the overall performance of both straight 316L as well as 316L–aluminide composites. The addition of Ni3Al and Fe3Al to 316L stainless steels improve the mechanical and wear properties without any significant degradation of corrosion resistance.