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Microstructure and Wear Behavior of High-Carbon Concentration CrCoNi Multi-principal Element Alloys

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Abstract

CrCoNi multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) have shown good strength-ductility combinations, but few other mechanical properties have been evaluated in these alloys so far. Although optimal wear-resistant alloys depend upon the intended application, a hard and tough material is often desirable. In this work, as-cast Cr40Co40Ni20 was tested for wear under dry-sliding conditions against an alumina pin, exhibiting good wear resistance and low coefficient of friction (CoF) of 0.12. To further improve the wear behavior, carbon (C) additions were evaluated in this alloy and in Cr40Co30Ni30, up to the liquid solubility limit at 1600 °C (~24 at. pct C). Alloy design was performed using computational thermodynamic calculations. Predicted microstructures contain: self-lubricating graphite flakes, hard primary Cr-rich carbides, and a tough eutectic matrix; in good agreement with experimental results. As-cast Cr40Co40Ni20-C, even without microstructural refinement, displayed low specific wear rate (on the order of 10−4 mm3/Nm) and moderate CoF (0.55-0.62). Its performance was hampered by the fracture and detachment of coarse primary carbides, which introduced an additional abrasive element into the tribosystem. These findings indicate that C additions to CrCoNi alloys, along with the refinement of primary carbides, represent a promising strategy to further improve the wear performance of MPEAs.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES)-Finance Code 001; by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-Brasil (FAPESP), [Grant Numbers 2019/00229-4 and 2019/21133-5]; and by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-Brasil (CNPq) [grant number 424645/2018-1]. The authors thank the Laboratory of Structural Characterization (LCE/DEMa/ UFSCar) for the general facilities. Also, the authors would like to thank Drs. Fan Zhang and Chuan Zhang as well as COMPUTHERM® for providing a Pandat® software license and the necessary databases for performing the calculations shown here. AJC acknowledges the support of the US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research under ONR award number N00014-18-1-2567 during the preparation of this manuscript. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.

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  1. Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luis, km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Gustavo Bertoli

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luis, km 235, CEP 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Guilherme Y. Koga, Fernanda C. Puosso, Claudio S. Kiminami & Francisco G. Coury

  3. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, George S. Ansell, 1500 Illinois St, Golden, CO, 80401, USA

    Amy J. Clarke

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  1. Gustavo Bertoli
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Bertoli, G., Koga, G.Y., Puosso, F.C. et al. Microstructure and Wear Behavior of High-Carbon Concentration CrCoNi Multi-principal Element Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 52, 3034–3050 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-021-06297-3

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