Investigation of Macro- and Microstructure of Experimental Composite Materials Obtained by Disperse Hardening Method

Metal-based constructional materials will always be demanded by the companies of mechanical engineering, space and other industries. The most interesting is studying the methods, based on introducing micro-, ultra- and nanodisperse particles in liquid or hard-liquid melt, that is disperse hardening. Such methods of obtaining composite materials are known for a considerable period of time, though their application has been limited; they have been employed in different industries, but not widely. The article describes different methods of obtaining composite materials based on introducing the disperse particles; also a new original method is suggested, affording obtaining composite materials with predictable characteristics different in various areas of one and the same manufactured item. The article also describes the process, the experimental results, the findings of the investigations of the experimental material structure and properties, obtained by disperse hardening method. Disperse particles of wolfram and titanium carbides were introduced into solidifying melt while casting steel on the centrifugal casting machine. Such method of introduction allowed obtaining composite cylinder-shaped billets with different content of the introduced particles across the section (due to different densities of the introduced particles and of the hardened metal). The obtained samples were prepared and investigated for macro- and microstructure alteration across the section. The result of the study is represented by the data on the introduced particles distribution across the sections of the obtained samples.