Effect of Temperature on Tribological Behavior of FeCrNi Medium Entropy Alloy

FeCrNi medium entropy alloy (MEA) is a promising structural material due to its outstanding mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, study on the high-temperature tribological behaviors of FeCrNi MEA is still scarce. This work investigates the tribological performances of the FeCrNi MEA against Si3N4 balls over typical operating temperatures from 25 to 800 °C. The FeCrNi MEA exhibits excellent wear resistance at an intermediate temperature of 600 °C. The microstructure characterization of the wear tracks reveals a transition in the wear mechanism from abrasive wear at 25 °C to oxidative-delamination wear at 600 °C. The improved tribological performances are mainly attributed to the high Cr content, which promotes the formation of the compact oxide layer and the precipitation of the hard sigma (σ) phase.