Hardness and wear resistance of steel-based surface composites fabricated with Fe-based metamorphic alloy powders by high-energy electron beam irradiation

In this study, steel-based surface composites were fabricated with Fe-based metamorphic alloy powders by high-energy electron beam irradiation, and their microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance were investigated. Two kinds of Fe-based metamorphic powders were deposited on a plain carbon steel substrate, and then electron beam was irradiated on these powders to fabricate one-layered surface composites. Two-layered surface composites were also fabricated by irradiating electron beam again onto the powders deposited on the one-layered surface composites. The composite layers of 2.6–3.1 mm in thickness were homogeneously formed without defects, and contained a large amount (up to 64 vol.%) of Cr2B or Cr1.65Fe0.35B0.96 borides in the Cr0.19Fe0.7Ni0.11 or martensite matrix. Since the hardness and wear resistance of the surface composite layers were directly influenced by hard borides, they were two to four times greater than those of the steel substrate. These borides also played a role in improving the high-temperature hardness because they are insoluble and thermally stable even at high temperatures. These findings suggested that various applications of the fabricated surface composites to materials requiring high resistance to heat and abrasion were expected.