Effects of Strain-Induced Martensitic Transformation on the Solid Particle Erosion Behavior of Fe–Cr–C–Ni/Mn Austenitic Alloys

The effects of Ni and Mn concentrations and also the impact velocity on the solid particle erosion behavior of Fe–12Cr–0.4C– x Ni/Mn ( x = 5 and 10) alloys were investigated with respect to strain-induced martensitic transformation. The critical strain energy (CSE), which is defined as the energy required to initiate the martensitic transformation increased with increasing Ni and Mn concentrations. As the impact velocity decreased, the solid particle erosion resistance of the low CSE alloy improved compared to that of the high CSE alloy under the given ranges of impingement angles and impact velocities. This result was most likely due to an increase in the volume fraction of martensite that formed during the solid particle erosion test in the low CSE alloy when the impact velocity was decreased.