Effect of Mo addition mode on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC–high Mn steel cermets

Abstract In TiC- and Ti(C,N)-based cermets, the wettability of the ceramic phase with the metallic binder is commonly increased through supplementation with Mo in the form of pure Mo powder or Mo2C. Herein, TiC–high Mn steel cermets were fabricated by conventional powder metallurgy techniques using Fe–Mo pre-alloyed powders as binders to guarantee uniform Mo distribution, and the cermet preparation process was optimized and investigated in detail. The microstructures of the thus obtained cermets were observed by scanning electron microscopy and compared to those of a Mo-free cermet and a cermet prepared using pure Mo powder. The grain size of Fe–Mo powder cermets exceeded that of the Mo-free cermet but was much smaller and more homogeneous than that of the Mo powder cermet. For Fe–Mo powder cermets, angular and tetragonal TiC particles were observed at Mo contents of