Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Ahssi
, Harun Çuğ, Bekir Güney, Mehmet Akif Erden, Mustafa Acarer
J. Min. Metall. Sect. B-Metall., 62 (2) (2026) 211-228. DOI:10.2298/JMMB250827016A
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Available online 07 jul 2026
(Received 01 April 2026; Accepted 23 June 2026)
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The present study examines the influence of nickel addition on the microstructural evolution, phase formation, hardness, and wear performance of Nb–V microalloyed powder metallurgy (PM) steels under both dry and corrosive sliding conditions. A series of Fe–C–Nb–V alloys containing 0–30 wt.% Ni were produced via powder metallurgy by compacting mixed powders under high pressure followed by sintering at 1400 °C in an argon atmosphere. The resulting materials were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), density measurements, and microhardness testing. Tribological performance was evaluated through reciprocating wear tests under applied loads of 15 and 30 N in dry and 3.5 wt.% NaCl environments. The results revealed that the combined addition of Nb and V promoted grain refinement through the formation of carbide and carbonitride precipitates, resulting in enhanced hardness and wear resistance compared with unalloyed steel. Nickel addition further modified the microstructure and phase constitution, leading to the formation of bainitic, martensitic, and austenitic regions depending on the Ni content. Wear resistance improved progressively with increasing nickel concentration up to 13 wt.%, where the optimum combination of hardness and tribological performance was obtained. The alloy containing 13 wt.% Ni exhibited the highest hardness and the lowest material loss under both testing environments. However, excessive nickel additions (>13 wt.%) promoted microstructural heterogeneity and increased porosity, causing a decline in hardness and wear resistance. XRD analyses confirmed the presence of carbide phases such as Fe₃C and NbC together with Fe-Ni intermetallic compounds, which contributed to the observed strengthening mechanisms. These findings demonstrate that a controlled nickel addition, in combination with Nb–V microalloying, provides an effective strategy for optimizing the microstructure and wear performance of PM steels intended for applications requiring enhanced durability in both dry and corrosive service conditions.
Keywords: Micro alloyed steel; Powder metallurgy; Nickel addition; Microstructure; Wear properties; Dry and corrosive environments
Correspondence Address:
Bekir Güney,
Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey;
email: guneyb@kmu.edu.tr
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