Effect of precipitated carbides on the fretting wear behavior of Inconel 600 alloy

The carbides precipitated along grain boundary and within the grain in Inconel 600 mill-anneal alloy were produced by aging treatment for different times. The effect of precipitated carbides on the friction coefficient and wear volume was analyzed. The surface and cross sectional morphologies of wear scar were subsequently investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that the carbides precipitated after aging treatment strongly affected the wear behavior during the fretting wear. Carbide precipitation slightly increased the friction coefficient. The wear volume increased with increase of carbides. Some deformation twins and tangled dislocations appeared in the tribological transition structure (TTS) layer of the wear scar. They interacted with the carbides within the grain and along the grain boundary, resulting in decrease of plasticity of TTS layer, formation of more microcracks in the TTS layer and surface delamination of TTS layer. As a result, the wear volume was increased.