Wear-resistant additives

Wear is a complex subject because there are many factors at work [16]. In general, wear resistance of polymers is improved, and in many cases dramatically so, by the addition of fillers. For example, FIFE has very low COF but very poor wear resistance. Addition of virtually any kind of filler has been shown to improve the wear resistance of FI FE between one and several orders of magnitude. 

Aromatic polyamide fiber, commonly known as aramid liber or Kevlar , is one of the latest wear-resistant additives to be used in thermoplastic composites. Unlike the traditional fiber reinforcements of glass and carbon, aramid is the softest and least abrasive fiber. This is a major advantage in wear applications, particularly if the mating surface is sensitive to abrasion. 

It is noteworthy, however, that traces of sulfur can have beneficial effects on the anti-wear resistance of fuel injection pumps. It is thus undesirable to reduce the sulfur content to extremely low values unless additives having lubricating qualities are added. Independently from total sulfur content, the presence of mercaptans that are particularly aggressive towards certain metal or synthetic parts is strictly controlled. The mercaptan content is thereby limited to 0.002% (20 ppm) maximum. The analysis is performed chemically in accordance to the NF M 07-022 or ASTM D 3227 procedures. 

Ferrophosphoms is produced as a by-product in the electrothermal manufacture of elemental phosphoms, in which iron is present as an impurity in the phosphate rock raw material. The commercial product contains ca 23—29% P and is composed primarily of Fe2P [1310-43-6] and Fe P [12023-53-9] along with impurities such as Cr and V. Ferrophosphoms is used in metallurgical processes for the addition of phosphoms content. Low concentrations (up to - 0.1%) of phosphoms in wrought and cast iron and steel not only increases the strength, hardness, and wear resistance but also improves the flow properties. In large stmctural members and plates, it is desirable to use a type of steel that does not need to be quenched or tempered, and thus does not exhibit weld-hardening. This property is afforded by the incorporation of a small quantity of phosphoms in steel. Ferrophosphoms from western U.S. phosphoms production is used as a raw material for the recovery of vanadium (see Vanadiumand vanadiumalloys). 

The durabihty and versatility of steel are shown by its wide range of mechanical and physical properties. By the proper choice of carbon content and alloying elements, and by suitable heat treatment, steel can be made so soft and ductile that it can be cold-drawn into complex shapes such as automobile bodies. Conversely, steel can be made extremely hard for wear resistance, or tough enough to withstand enormous loads and shock without deforming or breaking. In addition, some steels are made to resist heat and corrosion by the atmosphere and by a wide variety of chemicals. 

Extruded Rigid Foa.m. In addition to low temperature thermal insulation, foamed PSs are used for insulation against ambient temperatures in the form of perimeter insulation and insulation under floors and in walls and roofs. The upside-down roof system has been patented (256), in which foamed plastic such as Styrofoam (Dow) plastic foam is appHed above the tar-paper vapor seal, thereby protecting the tar paper from extreme thermal stresses that cause cracking. The foam is covered with gravel or some other wear-resistant topping (see Roofing materials). 

The activated CVD diamond techniques can be mote attractive in cases where the huge capital investment (several hundred million dollars) requited for the HP—HT technology is not available or where the high level of technical knowledge requited for HP—HT synthesis is not available. In addition, most wear-resistant apphcations requite diamond coatings only of the order of a few micrometers thick. Such coatings can be deposited ditecdy on the finished product without the need for further finishing if CVD techniques are employed. 

Antimony may be added to copper-base alloys such as naval brass. Admiralty Metal, and leaded Muntz metal in amounts of 0.02—0.10% to prevent dezincification. Additions of antimony to ductile iron in an amount of 50 ppm, preferably with some cerium, can make the graphite fliUy nodular to the center of thick castings and when added to gray cast iron in the amount of 0.05%, antimony acts as a powerflil carbide stabilizer with an improvement in both the wear resistance and thermal cycling properties (26) (see Carbides). 

The first carbonitride alloys based on Ti(C,N)—Ni—Mo were iatroduced ia 1970 foUowed by (Ti, Mo)(C,N)-based compositions having fine microstmctures that provided a balance of wear resistance and toughness (4). Continued research on the titanium carbonitride alloys, often called TiC—TiN cermets, ia the 1980s led to the developmeat of complex cermets having a variety of additives such as molybdeaum carbide(2 l) [12069-89-5] M02C, TaC, NbC, zirconium carbide [12020-14-3], ZrC, hafnium carbide [12069-85-1], HfC, WC, vanadium carbide [12070-10-9], VC, chromium carbide (3 2)... 

Cr C2, and aluminum, A1 (5). Various mixes of these additives impart different combinations of wear resistance, thermal shock resistance, and toughness and allow tools to be tailored for a wide range of machining appHcations. 

In addition to chemical analysis a number of physical and mechanical properties are employed to determine cemented carbide quaUty. Standard test methods employed by the iadustry for abrasive wear resistance, apparent grain size, apparent porosity, coercive force, compressive strength, density, fracture toughness, hardness, linear thermal expansion, magnetic permeabiUty, microstmcture, Poisson s ratio, transverse mpture strength, and Young s modulus are set forth by ASTM/ANSI and the ISO. 

Hardness and solubiUty for other carbides make TiC an important component of siatered cemented carbides. Although the addition of TiC or WTiC2 to WC—Co alloys imparts crater wear resistance, it also reduces the transverse mpture strength and fracture toughness of these alloys. Therefore, the amount of TiC or WTiC2 added to WC—Co alloys for steel machining is kept to a minimum, typically no greater than 10 wt %. The TiC-based cermets, on the other hand, may contain 30—85 wt % TiC. 

Hard plating is noted for its excellent hardness, wear resistance, and low coefficient of friction. Decorative plating retains its brilliance because air exposure immediately forms a thin, invisible protective oxide film. The chromium is not appHed directiy to the surface of the base metal but rather over a nickel (see Nickel and nickel alloys) plate, which in turn is laid over a copper (qv) plate. Because the chromium plate is not free of cracks, pores, and similar imperfections, the intermediate nickel layer must provide the basic protection. Indeed, optimum performance is obtained when a controlled but high density (40—80 microcrack intersections per linear millimeter) of microcracks is achieved in the chromium lea ding to reduced local galvanic current density at the imperfections and increased cathode polarization. A duplex nickel layer containing small amounts of sulfur is generally used. In addition to... 

Alloy Compositions and Product Forms. SteUite 21, an early type of cobalt-base high temperature alloy, is used primarily for wear resistance. The use of tungsten rather than molybdenum, moderate nickel contents, lower carbon contents, and rare-earth additions typify cobalt-base high temperature alloys of the 1990s as can be seen from Table 5. 

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