Adhesive wear performance of NiHard-4, alloyed spherical cast iron compared to high Cr cast irons and tool steels

Abstract Impact-resistant cold-work tool steels are utilized in striking tools like metal cutting dies, chisels, and hammers. Similarly, wear-resistant cast irons such as ductile iron, NiHard-4, and high-Cr-Mo white cast iron (WCI) are extensively used in mining and heavy-duty environments due to their superior hardness and microstructural stability. In this study, the microstructural characteristics and adhesive wear behaviors of nodular cast iron, NiHard-4, high-Cr-Mo WCI, and high-speed tool steels were comparatively analyzed. Microstructural phases and elemental distributions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, microhardness, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The findings reveal that the morphology and distribution of hard carbide phases play a decisive role in wear resistance. The presence of Ni and Si decreased the interfacial energy between the carbides and the matrix, thereby promoting carbide nucleation and uniform dispersion. Consequently, finer and harder carbides formed more homogeneously, resulting in enhanced hardness and improved wear resistance. These results emphasize the critical role of alloying design in optimizing the microstructural integrity and tribological performance of cast and tool steels.