Microstructure Evolution of In Situ Synthesized VC Reinforced Iron Matrix Composites

Iron matrix composite reinforced with VC reinforcements was produced by in situ synthesis technique. The microstructure of the composites was characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The micrographs revealed the morphology and distribution of the reinforcements. The results show that the composite consists of VC carbide as the reinforcing phase and α-Fe as the matrix. The distribution of spherical VC particulates in iron matrix is uniform, and the matrix microstructure of Fe-VC composite is pearlite.