| The present study is concerned with fabrication and microstructural analysis of TiC/SUS304 surface composites using irradiation of accelerated high-energy electron beam. Three kinds of powder/flux mixtures, i.e., TiC, (Ti+C), and (Ti+SiC) powders with 40 wt.% of CaF₂ flux, were placed on an SUS304 stainless steel substrate, which was then irradiated with electron beam. TiC agglomerates and pores were found in the surface composite layer fabricated by irradiation of TiC powders because of insufficient melting of TiC powders. In the composite layer fabricated by irradiation of Ti and C powders having lower melting points than TiC powders, a number of primary TiC carbides were precipitated without forming TiC agglomerates or pores. This indicated the more effective TiC precipitation obtained from the melting of Ti and C powders, instead of TiC powders. The hardness and wear resistance of the surface composite layer were directly influenced by hard primary TiC carbides, and thus were two to three times greater than those of the stainless steel substrate. |
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