Investigating the erosive wear characteristics of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel after surface hardening by boriding

Abstract

Erosive wear degrades industrial components, causing surface deterioration and material loss. Understanding and mitigating this wear enhances component longevity and efficiency. Little research has been conducted to investigate the influence of particle angle, speed, and concentration on boronized surfaces. Therefore, in this study, the erosive wear behaviors of raw and boronized AISI 420 martensitic stainless steels were investigated. The samples were subjected to erosive wear testing using SiO2 abrasive particles with impact velocities of 2, 4, and 6 m/s, impact angles of 30°, 60°, and 90°, and concentration values of 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight in an abrasive sand slurry environment. Experimental runs were designed using the Taguchi L9 method. The wear test results were analyzed in terms of mass loss, surface roughness, and temperature change of the boronized and raw AISI 420 samples before and after the test. The results showed that the impact speed and concentration were statistically significant parameters compared with the impact angle, which had a negligible effect. Furthermore, with increasing impact speed and concentration, all measured responses increased in both sample groups. The surface roughness values and mass loss increased by lower margins for the boronized samples (58.40% and 188.49%, respectively) compared to those of the raw samples (61.40% and 254.38%, respectively). This study demonstrates the potential of boriding as a surface treatment technique for enhancing the erosive wear performance of martensitic stainless steels, which require improved durability and longevity of materials subjected to erosive environments.

Keywords

• Surface boriding
• Erosive wear
• Surface roughness
• AISI 420 martensitic steel