The Effects of Age Hardening on Tribological Behavior of Lightweight Fe-Mn-Al-C Steel

Fe-Mn-Al-C austenitic steels have been the subject of intense research because of the promising strength and ductility characteristics of these alloys. Recently, the mechanical properties of this family of materials have been extensively studied; however, limited information regarding their tribological behavior is available in the current literature. This research aims to investigate the wear behavior of Fe-22Mn-10Al-1.4C austenitic steel under different aging conditions. The aging treatments were performed at 500, 550, and 600 degrees C for 1, 2, and 3 h. The microstructural characterizations were performed using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). After homogenizing, the microstructure showed only the austenite phase. The aging treatments resulted in the precipitating of the kappa-carbides in the structure. The hardness and wear characteristics of the samples were measured via microhardness and pin-on-reciprocating plate tests, respectively. Results indicated that aging treatments improved the hardness and wear resistance due to the precipitation of kappa-carbides up to 62% and 71%, respectively. There was a strong correlation between aging time and tribological behavior such that increasing aging time and temperature resulted in a decrease in the wear rate. Finally, a formula was proposed for predicting the wear behavior of Fe-Mn-Al-C steels at a specific aging temperature.