DRY SLIDING WEAR OF NIAL

The dry sliding wear behavior of the B2-structured (ordered body-cente red cubic) compound NiAl has been studied. Pin-on-disk experiments wer e conducted at room temperature in air using pins made from extruded N iAI with compositions of 50, 48, and 45 at.% aluminum. Partially stabi lized zirconia was the disk material. Wear rate measurements showed an inverse relation between wear and hardness. Hardness increased with i ncreasing nickel content as the composition moved away from stoichiome tric composition. Friction results indicate higher friction coefficien ts for Ni-50Al than for either Ni-48Al or Ni-45Al. Surface examination s of the pin wear scars, by both optical microscopy and scanning elect ron microscopy, show the wear process of NiAl is dominated by plastic deformation in all compositions, with little evidence of material loss by brittle fracture.