Bachelor’s thesis investigates the tribocorrosion properties of three different alloys: a commercial alloy (DIN 226) and two quasicrystalline alloys. One quasicrystalline alloy was prepared from technically pure elements, while the other two alloys were re-melted from industrial ingots. The alloys were cast in a steel die and the tribocorrosion test pieces were cut from them. The microstructure of the castings was also examined using a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope, on which energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was performed. Additionally, the hardness of individual microstructure elements was also tested. The tribocorrosion properties were measured employing a “pin- on- disc” and “oscillating tribotester”, with the primary focus on measuring the coefficient of friction and the open-circuit potential. The presence of a hard quasicrystalline phase in the microstructure was shown to reduce the coefficient of friction and potentially limit the change in corrosion potential at the onset of tribological loading, which can be linked to the improved tribocorrosion properties compared to the commercial alloy DIN 226.
|
