Effect of Zirconia Content on Microstructure and Abrasive Wear Properties of TZM Alloy

Abstract:

The TZM alloys with different contents of ZrO₂ were prepared by powder metallurgy and rolling, and the grain size, hardness, and abrasive wear resistance of TZM alloy were studied. The abrasive wear test of TZM alloy was conducted under the conditions of 10, 15, and 20 N and abrasive particle sizes of 7, 11, 18, and 38 μm. The results show that the added ZrO₂ particles in TZM alloy are mainly distributed at the grain boundaries. The grains of TZM alloy containing 1.5wt% ZrO₂ are significantly refined, and the hardness is increased by 16%. The wear test results show that TZM alloy containing 1.5wt% ZrO₂ has the lowest mass loss rate and excellent wear resistance under all loads and abrasive sizes, and the wear performance is improved by 12%. The ZrO₂ with high hardness becomes the main bearer of the load, and as the second-phase, it hinders the abrasive particles from entering the matrix and effectively resists the scratch of the abrasive particles, which is the main reason for the excellent wear resistance.