Wear behavior–hardness–microstructure relation of Fe–Cr–C and Fe–Cr–C–B based hardfacing alloys

• Ferroboron powder addition affected abrasive wear resistance positively.
• Hard phase morphology has a major effect on wear resistance in addition to hardness.
• Increasing FeB in powder mixture increased the hardness and the wear resistance.
• Increasing boron content promoted the formation of primary hard phases.

The aim of this study is the investigation of the effect of ferroboron and the amount of powder mixture (ferroboron + ferrochromium) on wear resistance of Iron (Fe)–Chromium (Cr)–Carbon (C) based hardfacing alloys. Powder mixture, consisting of ferrochromium (FeCr) and ferroboron (FeB), was added to massive wire during welding process. Hardfaced layers were obtained by three different powder mixtures and two different powder/massive wire proportions. Hardfacing was applied to AISI 1020 steel substrate by open arc welding. Hardness test, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, dry sand/rubber wheel abrasion test were executed. Test results showed that increasing ferroboron content and increasing powder mixture amount enhanced the wear resistance.