Bismuth thermodynamic activities in Ni – Bi liquid solutions have been measured by the modified isothermal isopiestic method at 1723, 1753 and 1773 K. These results are coupled with thermochemical and topological data from literature, in order to achieve reliable re-optimization of the Ni – Bi system by the CALPHAD method. The model of disordered substitutional solutions has been applied to the liquid phase and to the face-centered cubic solid solutions (Ni). The compound NiBi3 is stoichiometric and is modeled by a two-sublattice model corresponding to its formula. The nickel solubility in the solid bismuth is negligible, which is why the phase (Bi) is considered as consisting of bismuth only. The description Bi: Ni, Va has been used for the thermodynamic modeling of the nonstoichiometric NiBi phase.

The paper concerns evaluation of the coefficient of friction characterising a friction couple comprising a commercial brake disc cast of flake graphite grey iron and a typical brake pad for passenger motor car. For the applied interaction conditions, the brake pressure of 0.53 MPa and the linear velocity measured on the pad-disc trace axis equalling 15 km/h, evolution of the friction coefficient μ values were observed. It turned out that after a period of 50 minutes, temperature reached the value 270°C and got stabilised. After this time interval, the friction coefficient value also got stabilised on the level of μ = 0.38. In case of a block in its original state, stabilisation of the friction coefficient value occurred after a stage in the course of which a continuous growth of its value was observed up to the level μ = 0.41 and then a decrease to the value μ = 0.38. It can be assumed that occurrence of this stage was an effect of an initial running-in of the friction couple. In consecutive abrasion tests on the same friction couple, the friction coefficient value stabilisation occurred after the stage of a steady increase of its value. It can be stated that the stage corresponded to a secondary running-in of the friction couple. The observed stages lasted for similar periods of time and ended with reaching the stabile level of temperature of the disc-pad contact surface.

The research reported in the paper concerned the conditions of cooling high-chromium cast iron with about 15% Cr content capable to ensure completeness of transformation of supercooled austenite into martensite in order to obtain high hardness value of the material and thus its high resistance to abrasive wear. For testing, castings were prepared with dimensions 120 mm × 100 mm × 15 mm cast in sand molds in which one of cavity surfaces was reproduced with chills. From the castings, specimens for dilatometric tests were taken with dimensions 4 mm × 4 mm × 16 mm and plates with dimensions 50 mm × 50 mm × 15 mm for heat treatment tests. The dilatometric specimens were cut out from areas subject to interaction with the chill. The austenitizing temperature and time were 1000 °C and 30 min, respectively. Dilatograms of specimens quenched in liquid nitrogen were used to determine martensite transformation start and finish temperatures TMs and TMf, whereas from dilatograms of specimens quenched in air and in water, only TMs was red out. To secure completeness of the course of transformation of supercooled austenite into martensite and reveal the transformation finish temperature, it was necessary to continue cooling of specimens in liquid nitrogen. It has been found that TMs depended strongly on the quenching method whereas TMf values were similar for each of the adopted cooling conditions. The examined cooling variants were used to develop a heat treatment process allowing to obtain hardness of 68 HRC.

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The activity of Bi in dilute Cu-Ni-Sn-Bi alloys has been determined by the method of equilibrium saturation with metal vapour at T= 1398, 1448 and 1473 K. As the method of equilibrium saturation is a comparative one, it is necessary to have an appropriate reference mixture. The Cu-Bi alloy was accepted as the reference mixture. The interaction parameters ε Bi Bi , ε Ni Bi and ε Sn Bi were determined by the least squares method.