Improving Wear Performance

of Cast Iron
BY ADAPTING CONCEPT OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIAL VIA
SHS REACTION
The materials available today on the market does not meet the
today’s machinery standard/capacity.
The aim of this research is, by adapting concept of functionally
graded material shown in figure and develop a material that is
superior in heat resistance and abrasion
Functionally graded material (FGM) is a material in which the composition and/or microstructure
changes gradually throughout the material, in order to achieve properties that are mutually
exclusive to each other
Testing size of pellet
Compaction pressure (MPa) Binder Size of pellet Pouring temperature Particle size (µm)

Experiment 1 27 N Small 1600 <63

Experiment 2 27 N Medium 1600 <63

Experiment 3 27 N Large 1600 <63

Testing size of pellet
The surface was uniform and the niobium carbides were
distributed evenly throughout the entire cast.

SHS reaction was not visible as Niobium Carbide dispersed all

over the cast

Little or no discernible variation in hardness as a function of

distance from the reaction front.

It is conclude that size of the pellets make little impact on the

final result.
 Testing effect of binder

Compaction pressure (MPa) Binder Size of pellet Pouring temperature Particle size (µm)

Experiment 4 27 Y Medium 1600 <63

Experiment 5 27 Y Medium 1600 <63

Testing effect of binder
• A sodium silicate binder was next added

• SHS reaction region was clearly visible

• unreacted region in bright white at the bottom of

the image.
• Many voids throughout the cast
• EDS showed had sodium, silicon, and aluminum
inside them.
 First Experiment
Compaction pressure (MPa) Binder Size of pellet Pouring temperature Particle size (µm)

Experiment 6 100 N Medium 1500 <5

• much smaller particle size allows more surface area for heat to conduct through the pellet,

• more compaction pressure to keep the pellet from dispersing without adding a binder, leading to a cast that has a
dense SHS region without any porosity caused by a binder.
3.4. Hardness test, compression test and microstructure analysis

The sample used in the optical microscope analysis is used again used in hardness test.
The applied load is xx N and the loading time is xx sec.

As the tested sample is FGM, hardness varies with location, measurements are taken along the gradient of NbC
distribution. For a given location, the number of test is set to 5 and the average value is taken as the hardness value.

scanning electron microscope (SEM; manufactured by xxxx), and elements analysis is done by an energy dispersive X-
ray spectroscopy (EDS; manufactured by xxxx) simultaneously with SEM observation. T

hen sample is tested under compressive test, compression test is done by loading frame (manufactured by Struers) to
obtained yield strength of the material.