The reciprocating wear behaviour of TiC–Ni3Al cermets

Abstract TiC-based cermets have become more popular as a replacement to traditional WC–Co ‘hardmetals’ due to their superior mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, improved corrosion resistance and significantly lower density. The current study assesses the reciprocating wear response of TiC–Ni 3 Al cermets fabricated by melt infiltration, with Ni 3 Al binder contents ranging from 20 to 40 vol.%. Wear testing was performed using a ball-on-flat geometry, with a WC–Co sphere used as the counter-face material. It is demonstrated that the cermets are affected by similar wear mechanisms for each of the binder contents, but displayed the lowest wear when prepared with 30 vol.% Ni 3 Al. Additionally, the 40 vol.% samples displayed a clear transitional behaviour, with an improved wear resistance comparable to the 30 vol.% samples at low applied loads, but a degraded wear response comparable to the 20 vol.% samples at high applied loads.