Erosion and abrasion characteristics of high manganese chromium irons

Chromium irons are well known for their resistance to both oxidation and wear. Additions of manganese to such alloys, as a means to further improve their properties, has attracted the attention of material scientists. This work reports the effects of manganese content and casting section thickness on the mechanical properties and wear of iron alloys containing 17–19 wt.% Cr. Fe-Cr alloys containing 5 and 10 wt.% manganese are cast in variously-sized gray cast iron moulds. Castings are quenched and tempered. They are then tested for resistance to solid particle impingement erosion and dry-sand rubber wheel abrasion. Increasing the manganese content decreases the hardness and wear resistance. Decreasing the section thickness improves the wear resistance and hardness. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy are used to evaluate the wear properties associated with microstructural constituents.