Tungsten-Free Hardmetals and Carbide Steels with Chromium Carbides

The paper outlines Radomyselskii’s scientific contribution to the development of wear-resistant powder materials, corrosion-resistant tungsten-free hardmetals, and carbide steels. It is shown how the principle of structural heterogeneity proposed by I. D. Radomyselskii was implemented in the development of wear-resistant iron–white cast iron–chromium steel material and chromium carbide Cr3C2–Ni, Cr3C2–Ni–P, Cr3C2–Fe, and Cr3C2–stainless steel hardmetals. It is demonstrated that iron and steel powders, as well as high-carbon ferrochromium FKh800 powder, can be used successfully as starting materials to produce chromium carbide hardmetals and carbide steels, the scarcity and cost of chromium and nickel increasing. Data on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties, corrosion characteristics, and abrasive resistance are provided. The results of industrial tests and examples of the most effective use of tungsten-free hardmetals and wear-resistant powder materials containing simple and complex chromium carbides are presented.