International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Surface saturation with boron of Fe-C-Cu construction powder materials aims to improve the surface hardness of the articles and hence improve wear, contact strength and other mechanical properties. This study investigates the influence of single-component diffusion enrichment modes with boron of semi-permeable powder metallurgical samples from the Fe-C-Cu system. The powder samples on the basis of iron powders NC 100.24 to which 0,3 ÷ 2,5% Cu and 0,4% carbon were added were subjected to the study. Diffusion saturation with boron was carried out in semi-permeable saturation media with a composition of 84% Na2B4O7 + 12% SiC + 4% K2Cr2O7 at temperatures 850 ÷ 950 ° C for 2 ÷ 4 hours. Graphical dependencies are presented for the variation of the diffusion slit thickness in the longitudinal section of the test samples depending on their density, duration and saturation temperature. The experimental results obtained are compared with those obtained by combining pure iron samples with the same technological parameters.

The main characteristic of the powder metallurgical materials that distinguishes them from the summer ones is the presence in them of residual porosity. For this reason, the processes of their thermochemical treatment are differ significantly from those occurring at saturation of dense ones. In the present paper the impact of technological processes such as boronizing, chromizing, siliconizing, carburizing, borocarburizing, etc., is monitored on the kinetics of diffusion layer growth in powder materials with a porosity of 5÷35%. The specimens of iron powders NC 100.24 and those doped with 2% Cu were subjected to study. The samples were pressed with an effort of 200 ÷ 800MPa and sintered for 0.5h at 1150°C in dissociated NH3 medium. Thermochemical treatment was conducted at 950°C for 4 hours in semi-permeable saturation media. Graphical dependencies for varying the thickness of diffusion coatings in different thermochemical treatment modes are presented, depending on the porosity of the saturation materials.

In this study, the effects of matrix structure (pearlitic, tempered martensitic, lower ausferritic, and upper ausferritic), boronizing temperature (800, 825, and 850°C) and time (3, 4.5 and 6 hours) on the wear behaviour of Cu-Ni-Mo alloyed ductile iron were investigated. Wear tests were performed on ball-on-disc type wear tester under the load of 6.8 N, at sliding speed of 6.5 mm/s, at room temperature and dry sliding conditions. The mass losses were measured after wear tests and the friction coefficients were obtained during wear tests. The hardnesses and thicknesses of boride layers, microstructures and worn surface examinations (SEM) of the matrix structures and borided layers were performed. The surface hardnesses of borided samples were obtained three or four times more than that of the matrix structures. The best wear performance was observed for the sample borided at 850°C for 6 h. The mass loss of this boronizing condition is 0,2 mg and this value is nine times less compared with that of the as-cast pearlitic structure.