Fabrication and Analysis of the Multi-Coupling Bionic Wear-Resistant Material

A Multi-coupling bionic steel matrix composite was fabricated using the Thermal Explosion (TE) reaction of 30 wt.% Ni-Ti-C system. The results of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microdiffractometer investigations reveal that the reaction zone is divided into three distinct regions, i.e., Ni-TiC region, interfacial region and steel matrix region. In the Ni-TiC region, X-ray microdiffractometer tests reveal the existence of TiC and Ni phases without any intermediate phase. Observations of the interfacial regions reveal a large number of FeNi3 and a few TiC and Fe2Ti formation, which provides an essential composition gradient at the boundaries and keeps a metallurgical bonding between the Ni-TiC region and the steel matrix region. The proposed composite is hard/soft composite which combines the property of rigidity and flexibility. When it is abraded and extruded, this kind of feature shows both rigid resistance and flexible absorption. Sliding wear tests show that the wear resistance of the proposed composite is increased by about 49% in comparison with that of pure carbon steel.