Dry-sliding tribological properties of a nano-eutectic Fe_1.87C_0.13 alloy

The tribological properties of the nano-eutectic Fe_1.87C_0.13 alloy are investigated under dry-sliding against AISI52100 steel ball in ambient environment with varying applied load and sliding speed. As comparison, the tribological properties of the same alloy after annealing treatment, which is with coarse-grained microstructure, also are examined at the same testing condition. The worn surfaces of the alloys are analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The wear resistance of the nano-eutectic Fe_1.87C_0.13 alloy is about 2-6 times higher than that of the annealed coarse-grained Fe_1.87C_0.13 alloy, and the wear rates increase with increasing applied load and sliding speed. Friction coefficients of the two alloys are almost same. These results demonstrate that the wear resistance of the Fe_1.87C_0.13 alloy is improved by forming nanostructure to obtain enhanced mechanical properties, but the friction coefficient is not significantly affected owing to almost the same friction surface states. The wear mechanism of the two alloys shows slight difference.