Effect of molybdenum and chromium contents in sliding wear of high-chromium white cast iron: The relationship between microstructure and wear

High-chromium white cast irons are commonly used in applications requiring excellent abrasion resistance, as in the mining and mineral ore processing industry. Their excellent abrasion resistance is mainly due to their solidification microstructures. During their solidification, high levels of chromium (16–32%) lead to the formation of a high-volume fraction of eutectic M7C3-carbides, which may or may not be associated with primary carbides in a heterogeneous austenitic/martensitic dendritic structure. Generally, in common white high-chromium cast iron, the molybdenum content is less than 3 wt.% (by weight) so as to avoid a perlitic transformation. It is reported that by addition of molybdenum in quantities of more than 3 wt.%, new carbides (M2C, M6C) are formed which greatly increase the high-temperature wear resistance.In this paper, 15 high-chromium white cast alloys containing different chromium contents (16 wt.%Cr to 32 wt.%Cr) and molybdenum (Mo free to 9 wt.%Mo) are examined. For each alloy, the chemical composition and volume fraction of carbides and matrix have previously been determined. The matrix microstructure and the type of carbides depend on the relative contents of molybdenum and chromium. The wear experiments are carried out on a pin-on-disc tribometer at room temperature. The pin is made of cast iron. The wear mechanisms are observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is observed that the pin height loss, the evolution of friction versus time curves and the mean friction coefficient are largely dictated by the matrix microstructure. The carbides volume fraction and the macroscopic hardness both play only a minor role. The pin height loss is significant for a single-phased matrix and the mean friction coefficient is high. When the matrix is multiphased, the pin height loss tends towards zero and the coefficient of friction is lower. Detailed SEM observations and analysis of the evolution of the friction versus time curves indicate the substantial contribution of the large carbides in friction contact.