Adhesive transfer operates during galling

In order to reduce cobalt within the primary circuit of pressurised water reactors (PWR’s), wear-resistant steels are being researched and developed. In particular interest is the understanding of galling mechanisms, an adhesive wear mechanism which is particularly prevalent in PWR valves. Here we show that large shear stresses and adhesive transfer occur during galling by exploiting the 2 wt.% manganese difference between 304L and 316L stainless steels, even at relatively low compressive stresses of 50MPa. Through these findings, the galling mechanisms of stainless steels can be better understood, which may help with the development of galling resistant stainless steels

Microstructural characterisation of Tristelle 5183 (Fe-21%Cr-10%Ni-7.5%Nb-5%Si-2%C in wt%) alloy powder produced by gas atomisation

Nitrogen gas atomised powders of the hardfacing alloy Tristelle 5183 (Fe-21%Cr-10%Ni-7%Nb-5%Si-2%C in wt%) were sieved into different particle size ranges and their microstructures have been investigated. Powder particles larger than approximately 53 μm are composed of dendritic fcc γ-Fe as the principal phase with smaller quantities of: α-Fe, an interdendritic silicide phase isostructural to Fe5Ni3Si2, and Nb(C,N). Particles 10 μm) sized Nb(C,N) particles, that are seen in all powder size fractions, pre-existed in the melt prior to atomisation, whereas micron-sized Nb(C,N) particles that are found within α-Fe, γ-Fe or silicide are the primary solidification phase. Nanoscale Nb(C,N) also formed interdendritically in the last stages of solidification. Compared with a mould cast sample, a significant difference is the suppression of M7C3 formation in all powder size ranges. The increasing quantities of α-Fe and silicide in smaller sized powder particles is consistent with increased undercooling prior to nucleation permitting metastable phase formation

Measurement of friction in galling testing – An example of its use in characterising the galling behaviour of hardfacings at ambient and elevated temperature

© 2021 Elsevier B.V. Galling is a category of severe adhesive wear that is defined by surface damage arising between sliding solids, distinguished by macroscopic, usually localized, roughening and creation of protrusions above the original surface. The identification of galling is through a visual observation of the tested surface and is therefore inherently subjective. Due to the microscopic processes behind the onset of galling being poorly understood, further work is needed to understand the behaviour of different materials under galling conditions, both at room temperature and at elevated temperature. The current paper describes the development of a new galling testing apparatus, broadly under the ASTM G196 configuration with the addition of in-situ torque measurements, an automated worm drive for sample rotation as well as band heaters providing capability for testing at elevated temperatures up to a maximum applied stress of 950 MPa. Results from galling tests conducted at room temperate and 300 °C for both Stellite 6 (Co-based) and Tristelle 5183 (Fe-based) hardfacings are presented. The results show that the galling resistance of Tristelle 5183 is significantly reduced at elevated temperature

Galling of stainless steels as a function of test conditions in an ASTM G196-type test setup -the role of temperature, rotational velocity, interrupted rotation and rotational distance

Austenitic stainless steels have attractive properties for use in corrosive environments, but their use in components where motion under load is experienced (such as valves) is limited by their poor galling behaviour. Whilst stainless steels with improved performance have been developed over many years, the basic understanding of the key parameters in galling of standard stainless steels is not well understood. In this work, the galling behaviour of a dissimilar austenitic stainless steel pair is explored via testing in an instrumented ASTM G196-type test. Key variables examined are environmental temperature (room temperature and 100 °C), rotational speed (2.1 rpm and 5.5 rpm), and the sliding distance (from a quarter of a turn up to five turns). Galling was observed to become more severe with increased temperature, but was not significantly affected by either sliding speed (in the range examined) or interruptions during the rotation. The measurement of friction coefficient along with surface observations revealed that galling does not take place within the initial period of sliding; however, damage is being accrued by the sample surfaces which then results in subsequent observable galling as the sliding distance is increased. The importance of measuring torque during galling tests is illustrated, and the findings provide useful information with regard to those test variables that require critical control (and which do not) during conduct of a galling test programme. WEAR2023_0385 Daure et al. on effect of test parameters on gallin

Comparison of the sliding wear behaviour of self-mated HIPed Stellite 3 and Stellite 6 in a simulated PWR water environment

Cobalt-based alloys such as Stellite 3 and Stellite 6 are widely used to protect stainless steel surfaces in primary circuit nuclear reactor applications where high resistance to wear and corrosion are required. In this study, selfmated sliding wear of Stellite 3 and Stellite 6 consolidated by hot isostatic pressing were compared. Tests were performed with a pin-on-disc apparatus enclosed in a water-submerged autoclave environment and wear was measured from room temperature up to 250 °C (a representative pressurized water reactor environment). Both alloys exhibit a microstructure of micron-sized carbides embedded in a cobalt-rich matrix. Stellite 3 (higher tungsten and carbon content) contains M7C3 and an eta (η) -carbide whereas Stellite 6 contains only M7C3. Furthermore, the former has a significantly higher carbide volume fraction and hardness than the latter. Both alloys show a significant increase in the wear rate as the temperature is increased but Stellite 3 has a higher wear resistance over the entire range; at 250 °C the wear rate of Stellite 6 is more than five times that of Stellite 3. There is only a minimal formation of a transfer layer on the sliding surfaces but electron backscatter diffraction on cross-sections through the wear scar revealed that wear causes partial transformation of the cobalt matrix from fcc to hcp in both alloys over the entire temperature range. It is proposed that the acceleration of wear with increasing temperature in the range studied is associated with a tribocorrosion mechanism and that the higher carbide fraction in Stellite 3 resulted in its reduced wear rate compared to Stellite 6