Abstract
New production processes demand a higher wear resistance of tools, especially at elevated temperatures, in order to make the business more profitable and effective. Based on equilibrium calculations, new cast iron alloys have been developed. The influence of different alloying elements was investigated before first bulk materials were casted. The materials were tested with respect to their microstructure, hardness, (micro)red hardness, fracture toughness, and wear properties (at room and elevated temperatures) and compared to the standard high speed steel HS6-5-3 (≈ M3 class 2). It turns out that one of the new alloys has comparable mechanical properties but superior wear resistance, especially at elevated temperatures, thanks to a tripled carbide content and increased temperature strength of the matrix material.
