Microstructural and Mechanical Characteristics of In Situ Synthesized Chromium-Nickel-Graphite Composites

Cr-C-Ni composites were synthesized in situ from elemental powders of Cr, Ni and C by high energy milling followed by reactive sintering. The milled powders with the grain size in nano-scale were pressed to compacts and sintered. During the following thermal treatment at first the chromium carbide was formed and then the $Cr_3C_2-Ni$ cermets were sintered in one cycle. The interface between the binder phase and the carbide grains of the in situ composite has a good bonding strength as it is not contaminated with oxidation films or other detrimental surface reactions.