Production, Bonding and Application of Metal Matrix Composite Hot Forging Tool Components

Abstract

Metal matrix composite materials are of high interest for their increased stiffness, strength or wear resistance. Wear resistant composites contain hard ceramic particles to reduce microcutting and grooving of the metal matrix surface. In this paper, a gas atomised hot work tool steel X40CrMoV5-1 (1.2344/AISI H13) was combined with fused tungsten carbide (FTC) particles in order to create forging tools with increased abrasive wear resistance. For that purpose, tool components were manufactured by sinter-forging of stacked powder layers to build up a graded hard phase concentration of up to 10 vol.-%. Subsequently, sinter-forged specimens were combined with basic hot work tool steel components and joined by diffusion bonding to assemble the complete tool. In order to evaluate their performance, the tools were examined in a hot backward can extrusion process of low-alloyed steel. Optical geometry measurements, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the worn tool radii indicated a significant decrease in abrasive wear when using FTC-reinforced tools rather than conventional hardened tool steel.