Enhancing wear resistance of Ti(C, N)-based cermets through γ / γ' duplex phase binders: A combined experimental and computational study

Herein, the gamma(Ni)/gamma'(Ni 3 Al) duplex phase binders were introduced into the Ti(C, N)-based cermets, with their wear behaviors studied and compared to the ones incorporating gamma(Ni) binders. The cermets with gamma/gamma' binders exhibited -80 % reduction in mechanical wear at 25 degrees C, which stemmed from the decreased ceramic particle size and enhanced hardness. Moreover, such cermets showed decreased oxidational wear by -30 % at 600 degrees C. This superior resistance was attributed to the formation of tribolayers comprising a surface TiO 2 layer and a subsurface Al 2 O 3 layer, which accommodated plastic strains and alleviated binder oxidation. This observation was well interpreted by thermodynamic calculations and first-principles results. Hence, this work provides a new approach for developing wear-resistant cermets based on the design of metallic binders.