Wear properties of Fe-16Mn-10Al-5Ni-0.86C lightweight steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

Microstructural characteristics and wear properties of Fe-16Mn-10Al-5Ni-0.86C lightweight steel (LWS) manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process were investigated and compared with conventional LWS. Both LWS alloys constituted an austenite matrix and B2-IMC. The LPBF LWS sample showed polygonal-typed B2-IMC, whereas conventional LWS had rod-typed B2-IMC. The ball-on-disk method was used to perform a wear test at 25 & DEG;C under three different load conditions of 20N, 3N and 40N. The wear results indicated that the LPBF LWS sample exhibited a similar amount of wear loss under the 20N and 30N load conditions, but it showed better wear resistance under the 40N compared to conventional LWS. After the wear test, the abrasive wear behaviour was confirmed as the main wear mechanism in both LWSs. The formation of oxide layers and debris was analysed through observation of the cross-sectional area of the worn surface.