Structure and properties of a Fe–Al intermetallic alloy ingot produced by exothermal remelting of thermite charge

Research and development of new intermetallic materials and alloys with a unique set of physical, mechanical, and operational characteristics, as well as improvement of their production processes are very important. The established techniques of producing iron-aluminum intermetallic alloys, used commercially as wear-resistant and anti-corrosion coatings, typically involve the use of multi-stage energy-consuming processes, which largely determine the high cost of the final product. A significant reduction in the number of operations and energy costs is achieved by using a single-stage process for producing intermetallic compounds of the Fe-Al system, such as aluminothermic remelting of thermite charge components that include iron scale and a reducing agent containing active aluminum. The high process temperature significantly reduces the time required to form a liquid phase and complete the interaction of the low-melting components with iron, thereby ensuring their significant content in the final iron-aluminum alloy. The paper presents the results of an experimental study of the effect of the amount of active aluminum in the thermite charge on the structure and microhardness of experimental iron-aluminum alloys formed as a result of exothermic remelting of the charge in a graphite reactor.