The Effects of Welding Processes and Microstructure on 3 Body Abrasive Wear Resistances for Hardfacing Deposits

Wear is the predominant factor that controls the life of any machine part. Hard facing helps to protect an area that is expected to wear with an alloy designed to combat the effects of the five main types of wear such as abrasion, impact, adhesion, high temperature and corrosion. Hardfacing is one of the most useful and economic ways to improve the performance of components submitted to severe wear conditions. A study was made to compare the microstructure and abrasion resistance of hardfacing alloys reinforced with primary chromium carbides. The hard facing alloys were deposited onto Mild steel plate by shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process. Two different commercial hardfacing electrodes were employed to investigate the effect of the microstructure. The abrasion tests were carried out in a dry sand-rubber wheel abrasion machine according to the procedure A of ASTM G65 standard. Microstructure characterization and surface analysis were made using optical and scanning electron microscope. The result shows that the wear resistance is determined by the size, shape, distribution and chemical composition of the carbides as well as by the matrix microstructure. The best abrasion resistance was obtained in microstructure composed of chromium carbide alloy. Hardfacing is a deposition.