Sormait

a name for iron-base hard alloys. The term is formed from the word “Sormovo,” the location of the plant where in the 1930’s metallurgists developed the first alloy of this type, and the ending “ait,” which is analogous to the ending of the name of similar American alloys. Sormait alloys have great hardness (Rockwell hardness of approximately 50 on the C scale) and contain 25–31 percent Cr, 2.5–3.5 percent C, 2.8–4.2 percent Si, 3–5 percent Ni, and up to 1.5 percent Mn, 0.08 percent S, and 0.08 percent P. In chemical composition and structure, the alloys are close to high-alloy white iron. They are also produced with lower amounts of Cr (13–18 percent), C (1.5–2.2 percent), and Si (1.5–2.2 percent).

Sormait alloys are used in the surfacing of parts of machines and instruments operating in conditions of abrasive wear, including high-temperature conditions without lubricants, in order to increase wear resistance. While significantly less expensive than cobalt- and nickel-base alloys, they are somewhat less effective in use, especially at increased temperatures. Sormait alloys are produced in the form of bars and powders.