Microstructure, wear, and corrosion performance of spherical cast tungsten carbide reinforced stainless steel-based composites manufactured by plasma transferred arc techniques

Spherical cast WC/W₂C have added plasma transferred arc (PTA) manufactured type 420 stainless steel to improve pitting and wear performance. W and C diffuse to the matrix and react with the elements in stainless steel, resulting in austenite phase and (Fe, W)₆C precipitates in the stainless steel matrix, with strong interface layers between cast WC/W₂C and matrix. The pitting corrosion resistance is reduced by adding cast WC/W₂C. The matrix hardness reduces after adding 15 wt% reinforced particles, then increases until 45 wt% cast WC/W₂C. However, the higher wear resistance and coefficient of friction (COF) increased by higher fraction of reinforced particles, the tendency of wear resistance to the percentage of cast WC/W₂C is not the same as the matrix hardness, as the wear resistance depends on the contact area between the strengthened particle and the counter face ball.