The master thesis summarizes the critical situation of the lack of a cobalt used in different industry branches. Due to its increasing price, it will not be possible to use in existing applications. One of these applications is production of cobalt alloys where the replacement of this element is impossible. This type of material keeps mechanical properties at high temperature. However, a suitable choice of technology can achieve at least its savings. In the field of welding, the alloys are joined without any use of an additional material. The possible solution could be the use of hybrid technologies or electron beam. Verification of weldability of both methods was realised in experimental parts and evaluated by destructive methods. The investigation was performed on wear resistant alloy Stellite 6B.

Master‘s thesis describes issues of stainless steel welding. The analysis carries out the stainless steel‘s state of art in term of welding, chemical composition, physical and mechanical properties. Experimet is based on cladding of Stellite alloys to martensitic stainless steel X39CrMo17-1. The practical part describes the used devices and carries out evaluation of specifically designed heat input, macrostructure and hardness.

This thesis reveals the tribological mechanisms behind the intrinsic low friction potential of the Co-based family of alloys called Stellites. Although being an established and important group of materials, a satisfactory explanation to why they exhibit low-friction properties under severe sliding conditions has not previously been found in the literature. The main part of this thesis is dedicated to the clarification of the tribological performance of Stellites in highly loaded sliding contact. The results should assist the development of Co-free alternatives, suitable for replacing Stellites in nuclear applications. Owing to their beneficial properties they are today the most commonly used material in the sealing surfaces on gate valves in the primary circuits of boiling water reactors (BWR). The underlying reason for the replacement in the nuclear applications is an undesired contribution to the background radiation level, originating from the Co in the Stellite surfaces. The Stellites mainly consist of Cr-rich carbides in a solid solution dominated by Co. The commonly used Stellite 6 and Stellite 21 were chosen as primary test materials and applied by laser cladding, providing a metallically bonded clad layer with a fine dendritic microstructure. By combining information from a series of dedicated tribological tests and modern high-resolution analysis instruments (e.g. SEM, XRD and TEM) available at the Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University, the following conclusions can be made regarding the tribological performance of Stellites under high load sliding. Mechanisms. The (tested) Stellites form a thick deformation hardened layer, topped with a superficial easily sheared layer of hcp basal planes aligned parallel to the worn surface. The easy-shear layer is continually regenerated, replacing worn off material. Technical benefits. The Stellites offer low-friction properties thanks to their easily sheared surface layers. The risk of severe galling is also avoided by restricting shear and adhesive transfer to very thin superficial layers. In closed sliding contacts, self-generated protective layers formed by re-deposition of wear fragments are also offered.

Dans le domaine du forgeage à chaud de pièces aéronautiques, les matrices en acier sont couramment rechargées, sur quelques millimètres d’épaisseur, par un alliage base cobalt (Stellite 21) déposé par procédé de soudage à l’arc (MIG). Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, ce rechargement « classique» est comparé à des rechargements Stellite 21 et Stellite 6 déposés par deux procédés émergents dans ce domaine, le PTA et le LASER. L’objectif est d’apporter des éléments de compréhension aux mécanismes d’endommagement de surface, notamment par écoulement plastique, de ces différents rechargements afin de dégager des voies d’amélioration pour augmenter la durée de vie des matrices. Pour cela, des essais tribologiques (semi-industriels et laboratoire) ont été mis en œuvre pour créer des endommagements de surface comparables à ceux observés sur matrices industrielles. Associées à ces essais, des investigations microstructurales, structurales et mécaniques multi-échelles ont été réalisées (traction, flexion, microdureté, MO, MEB, MEB-STEM, DRX, EBSD). Selon les couples « nuance/procédé » de rechargement, des mécanismes de déformation plastique par glissement des dislocations parfaites et par transformation de phase CFC en HC ont été identifiés. L’activation de ce dernier a pu être reliée à la température de transformation allotropique CFC/HC du cobalt. Cette température dépend à la fois (i) des éléments d’addition, variant en fonction de la nuance déposée (Cr, C,...), (ii) de la dilution (variation de la teneur en Fe) liée aux paramètres de soudage et (iii) du nombre de couches déposées. De plus, une influence significative de la transformation de phase sur l’évolution du coefficient de frottement a été mise en évidence. En effet, dans le cas où la transformation de phase n’est pas observée, le coefficient de frottement est stable durant l'essai alors qu'une chute de la courbe de coefficient de frottement a été reliée avec la transformation de phase CFC en HC. Parallèlement, l'écoulement plastique des dendrites est observé en extrême surface sur quelques dizaines de micromètre d'épaisseur dans la direction de glissement. Cet écoulement est associé à une forte texturation morphologique et cristallographique de la phase identifiée (CFC ou HC), avec une orientation des plans de plus grande densité atomique parallèlement à la surface de glissement. Les résultats montrent également que sous sollicitations tribologiques, un important durcissement est observé en surface (jusqu'à 90%) et une corrélation a pu être établie entre l'augmentation de la microdureté et le taux de déformation plastique. / In the field of hot forging of aeronautical parts, the steel dies are commonly hardfaced, on few millimeters thick, by a cobalt-based alloy (Stellite 21) deposited by arc welding (MIG). As part of this thesis, this "classic" hardfacing is compared to Stellite 21 and Stellite 6 hardfacings deposited by two emerging processes in this area, the PTA and the LASER one. The objective is to assess surface damage mechanisms, especially induced by plastic strain, of these various hardfacings. Tribological tests (laboratory and semi-industrial) were used to create surface damage comparable to those observed in industrial dies. Associated with these tests, multiscale microstructural, structural and mechanical investigations have been performed (tensile, bending, microhardness, OM, SEM, STEM, XRD, EBSD). According to the « material/process » couple, plastic strain mechanisms by perfect dislocation glide and by FCC to HCP phase transformation have been identified. The activation of the latter has been connected to the temperature of the allotropic phase transformation (FCC/HCP) in cobalt. This temperature depends on (i) the alloying elements, varying according to the deposited grade (Cr, C, ...), (ii) the dilution (Fe content evolution) connected to the welding parameters and (iii) the number of deposited layer. Moreover, a significant influence of the phase transformation on the evolution of the friction coefficient has been evidenced. Indeed, if the phase transformation is not observed, the friction coefficient is stable during the test, while a drop of the friction coefficient curve is connected with the FCC to HCP phase transformation. Moreover, the plastic flow of dendrites is observed at the extreme surface, on a few tens of micrometres in thickness, in the direction of sliding. It is associated with a high morphologic and crystallographic texturing of the identified phase (FCC or HCP), with the highest atomic density planes mostly oriented parallel to the sliding surface. The results also show that, under tribological laodings, a significant hardening is observed on the surface (up to 90%) and a correlation has been established between the increase in the microhardness and the plastic deformation ratio.

In this thesis, the aim is to study possible tribo-materials for a rotating inlet valve and to find a suitable material combination for the contact. The valve is part of a modern oil-free and high temperature steam engine. Systematic material selection together with tribological tests and wear analyses are performed. The metals Nitronic 60 and Stellite 6B are tested as self-mated metals, and run against graphite. None of these combinations are found suitable. However, the tests show carbon-based materials to be promising. After further study another carbon-based material, antimony impregnated mechanical carbon is selected as valve seat. For the mating part valve distributor, the material ZrO2-MgO is selected. This tribo-pair has shown friction and wear in the same interval as oil-lubrication. The friction and wear are 50% respectively 10% of the second best tribo-pair found in this thesis. The valve seat material is realizable if supported by a valve block of a Ni-resist cast iron with thermal expansion similar to the valve seat. Lastly a redesign of the valve distributor is suggested to comply with ceramic design guidelines. / Målet med denna rapport är att studera möjliga tribo-material för en roterande inloppsventil och att hitta en lämplig materialkombination för kontakten. Ventilen är en del av en modern oljefri och högtempererad ångmotor. Ett systematiskt materialval tillsammans med tribologiska tester och nötningsanalyser utförs. Metallerna Nitronic 60 och Stellite 6B testas dels mot sig själva, och dels mot grafit. Ingen av dessa kombinationer finns lämplig. Testerna visar dock att kolbaserade material är lovande och eftervidare studier är ett annat kolbaserat material, antimonimpregnerat mekaniskt kol, väljs till ventilsätet. Till motytan till ventilsätet, ventilfördelaren, väljs materialet ZrO2-MgO. Detta tribo-par har visat friktion och nötning i samma intervall som oljesmörjning. Friktionen och nötningen är 50 % respektive 10 % av det näst bästa tribo-paret som hittats i denna avhandling. Ventilsätets material är realiserbart om det stöttas i ett ventilblock av ett ”Ni-resist” gjutjärn med en värmeexpansion som liknar ventilsätets. Slutligen föreslås en omkonstruktion av ventilfördelaren för att uppfylla riktlinjerna för keramisk konstruktion.