A first evaluation of the abrasive wear of an austenitic FeMnAlC steel

Alloys of the FeMnAlC system have been primarily developed as possible alternatives to stainless steels for structural applications in moderately aggressive environments. Such alloys, when solution treated, are non-magnetic and present an austenitic structure that can be modified by thermal treatments. In this way, different combinations of mechanical strength, fracture toughness and physical properties can be obtained. and components for aeronautical and chemical industries are currently in use. Information concerning the performance of these alloys under wear conditions is still very limited, and the use of FeMnAlC alloys in applications where mechanical components are subjected to cavitation and abrasion conditions still require experimental data and fundamental research. The present study has been carried out to characterize the abrasive wear behavior associated to the different microstructures of this new kind of high Mn steel and to compare it with conventional steels. Microstructures were characterized by optical and atomic force microscopy, and samples subsequently subjected to a micro-abrasion test, together with samples of a AISI 304 stainless steel and a AISI M2 tool steel. It has been shown that when subjected to a controlled cooling process, the abrasion wear resistance of the austenitic FeMnAlC alloy was of the same level as the 304 stainless steel and of the M2 tool steel. This result has been explained in terms of the austenite decomposition that takes place during the controlled cooling process. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.