Impact of Carbides and BN Addition on the Mechanical and Wear Properties of Pressure-Less-Sintered Novel Tungsten-Iridium Alloys

In the present study, the ceramic-reinforced novel tungsten-iridium alloys have been prepared through powder metallurgy route. W-1wt.% Ir alloys were reinforced with ceramic particles (B₄C, TiC, HfC, and BN) via mechanical dispersion and compacted by using the cold isostatic press (CIP). Further, to inhibit grain growth a two-step sintering method was utilized to consolidate the developed alloys. Microstructural and morphological characterization was carried out using XRD and SEM techniques, respectively. The results illustrated that CIP and two-step sintering well contributed to enhance the densification and mechanical properties of the developed W-Ir alloys. The cBN-reinforced W-Ir alloys exhibited the highest density (88%) and hardness of 806.5 HV. The wear performance of the W-Ir alloys was also evaluated using pin-on-disk tribometer. Tribological investigations revealed that at load of 30 N, highest friction coefficient value of 0.11 and minimum specific wear rate of 1.64 x 10^{− 10} mm³/N.m were found in cBN-reinforced W-Ir alloys. The superior mechanical and wear properties of W-Ir alloys make them useful for wear resistance applications.