The resistance of nickel and iron aluminides to cavitation erosion and abrasive wear

The abrasive wear and cavitation erosion resistance of several alloys based on the Intermetallic compounds Ni₃Al and Fe₃Al have been investigated. The erosion resistance of the nickel aluminides is relatively insensitive to alloying with iron or chromium and is comparable with or superior to that of many commercial erosion-resistant alloys; the abrasive wear resistance is found to be decreased by alloying, despite increased room temperature strength and refined grain size. Preliminary results for the iron aluminides indicate increased resistance to abrasive wear with increasing alloy content. It is suggested that the abrasive wear process causes temperature increases in the damage zone that are sufficient to cause the elevated temperature properties of the alloys to become dominant. Under these conditions, the wear resistance can be related to the tendency to disorder, either thermally or through plastic deformation.