The Effect of B₄C Additions on Mechanical Properties of Fe-Cu-Co Matrix Composites for Diamond Tools

Abstract

The effects of boron carbide (B4C) additions on characteristic of diamond impregnated Fe-Co-Cu matrix composites have been investigated using powder metallurgy (PM) method. For this purpose, samples of Fe-(30-60)wt. % Cu–20 wt. %Co alloys and1wt. % B4C additions of its matrix were processed by cold pressing at 350 MPa, followed by sintering at 1100°C. Microstructural examination, hardness and wear tests were performed.The microstructure of Fe–Cu–Co alloys was very sensitive to the Cu content and pore closure took place with increasing the Cu content.In addition, the addition of B4C particles increased Fe–Cu-Co hardness about 44% compared to samples without B4C particles. The experimental results showed that alloy Fe–60 wt. % Cu–20 wt. %Co-1 wt. % B4C presented the best results for use in diamond cutting tools.

Production and characterization of AISI 316L stainless steel matrix hybrid composites reinforced with boron carbide and carbon nanotubes

“…4 Boron carbide (B 4 C) has been used as a reinforcing element in many ferrous or non-ferrous metal matrix composites due to its high chemical and thermal stability, low density and higher hardness than many ceramics. [5][6][7][8] Simsir et al 5 produced B 4 C reinforced Fe-Co alloy matrix composites by hot press and showed that the wear resistance of the composite significantly increased with the addition of B 4 C. Oksuz et al 6 reported that the hardness of the Fe-Co-Cu 1 alloy increased by 44% with the addition of 1% B 4 C. In a study by Xibao, 7 it was reported that Fe/B 4 C composite coating can be applied successfully by plasma arc transfer (PTA) method. Ettefagh Far and Davoodi 9 produced the steel matrix B 4 C reinforced composite structure by gas tungsten arc welding method and investigated its corrosion resistance.…”