Dry Sliding Tribological Behavior of Cryotreated Cr–V Ledeburitic Tool Steel against CuSn₆ Counterpart

Abstract

The purpose herein is to assess the impact of different combinations of cryogenic treatments and tempering regimes on tribological properties of Cr–V tool steel against a CuSn6 counterpart. Dry sliding wear experiments are performed using a pin‐on‐disk tribometer according to the Taguchi method. Tribological behavior is investigated under four process parameters at mixed levels: cryotemperatures (−75, −140, or −196 °C), tempering temperatures (170 or 530 °C), sliding velocity (0.064, 0.128, 0.1885 m s−1), and load (1, 5, 10 N). According to the analysis, the minimum friction coefficient is obtained by cryotreatment at −140 °C combined with 170 °C tempering, with a sliding velocity of 0.128 m s−1 and load of 10 N. For the minimum counterpart´s material adhesion level, cryogenic treatment at −196 °C followed by tempering at 530 °C, sliding velocity of 0.1885 m s−1, and applied load of 1 N are the optimum settings. The analysis of variance model shows that the load (39.2%) has statistical significance on the friction coefficient, while the load (59.1%) and tempering temperature (18.0%) have statistical significance on adhesion levels. The tribological behavior of the steel is explained by thorough microstructural examinations using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy.

Cryogenic Treatment of Martensitic Steels: Microstructural Fundamentals and Implications for Mechanical Properties and Wear and Corrosion Performance

“…Alternatively, standardised (according to [347]) pin-on-disc tests of cryogenically treated Vanadis 6 steel (at −90 • C for 4 h, −196 • C for 4 h, or −196 • C for 10 h) tempered at 530 • C showed better resistance to adhesive wear against 100Cr6 steel or bronze counterparts. In two recent papers, Yarasu et al [301,302] studied mixed abrasive-adhesive (against 100Cr6 ball) and anti-galling (against CuSn6 bronze) properties of different cryogenic treatments (−75, −140, and −196 • C) of Vanadis 6 steel followed by low-or high-temperature tempering. They recommended using −196 • C cryogenic treatment followed by 530 • C to maximise the galling resistance of the examined tool steel.…”