Dry Wear Behavior of 42CrMo4 Steel/ZrO2 Composite Prepared by Pressure-Less Infiltration Method

The aim of this research was to study the wear behavior of 42CrMo4 steel/ZrO2 composite with 10 and 30 ppi performed ceramic and compare it with the un-reinforced steel under different applied loads. The composite specimens were obtained by pressureless infiltration of the melt into a preformed ceramic of zirconium oxide. The effect of applied load on the specimens wear behavior was studied by applying the wear test under loads of 90, 120 and 150 (N). The results indicated that at the applied loads, the reinforcement and the increase of volume fraction considerably improved the specimens wear behavior. Furthermore, the microscopic images showed that the increase in force resulted in a change in the wear mechanism of the steel and the 10ppi composite from an abrasive to an adhesive one, while the wear mechanism of the 30ppi composite remained unchanged as abrasive.