Effects of vanadium addition on microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of Ni-Hard4 white cast iron

Ni-Hard4 white cast iron is commonly used in applications requiring excellent abrasion resistance as in the mining and mineral ore processing industry. In this study, the effects of vanadium on the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear-resistance of Ni-Hard4 white cast iron were investigated. This study was conducted in six laboratory-made alloys with different vanadium contents. The microstructure of the samples was characterized using the optical microscopy, the scanning electron microscopy, and the energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The impact energy, hardness and wear resistance of the samples were determined. The results indicated that with an increase in vanadium concentration, the chromium carbides were refined, and the volume fraction of carbides was decreased. After increasing the vanadium content by 2%, the microstructure of Ni-Hard4 white cast iron became finer and the hardness and wear resistance were improved without reduction of fracture toughness. The result of on-line service (AG Mill) showed that the wear resistance of Ni-Hard4 white cast iron was modified by 2%, and vanadium liners were 40% better than the basic Ni-Hard4.