Interface property and two-body wear behavior of high-Cr WCI matrix composite reinforced with CC particles

The vacuum infiltration casting process was adopted to prepare cemented carbide (CC) particles reinforced high-Cr white cast iron (WCI) composite by using failed CC parts as reinforcement. The interfacial structures between the CC particle and iron matrix were analysed by optical microscope (OM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD); the wear behavior of the composite was studied by pin-on-disc wear tester. The results showed that: owing to partial dissolution of the CC particles and diffusion of elements such as W, C, Cr and Fe, compounds such as Fe₃W₃C and Co₃W₃C were formed, which ensured metallurgical bonding at the interface; the wear resistance property of the composite was much higher than that of the heat treated WCI, moreover, when the applied load increased from 0.4Kg to 2Kg, the wear resistance value of the composite was more than 3.5 times than that of the heat treated WCI. However, there was no significant difference in the wear loss between CC/WCI composite and WC/WCI composite.