Synthesis and characterization of iron and chromium silicides
Composites based on intermetallics are being developed as hard and wear-resistant materials that could potentially replace cemented carbides or some tool steels. In these materials, the use of silicides of transition metals as reinforcement is considered, but there is currently not enough information in the literature about their properties. Therefore, this work is devoted to the synthesis and characterization of individual silicides of iron and chromium. The synthesis was realized by mechanical alloying, spark plasma sintering and homogenization annealing. Characterization included description of phase composition, microstructure, hardness and wear resistance.