Effect of composition and structure on the wear resistance of steels during abrasive wear

Abstract

1. The abrasive wear resistance of quenched steel rises with its carbon content. The abrasive wear resistance of hypoeutectoid steels increases with their hardness, while the wear resistance of hypereutectoid steels (or steels of the carbide type) also increases when they contain excess phases with high hardness. 2. The wear resistance of steels depends not only on the hardness and original structure but also the capacity of the steel for structural changes and plastic deformation in the process of abrasive wear of the working surface. 3. Under complex conditions of abrasive wear accompanied by high specific pressures or impact loads, the optimal structures are martensite-austenite or austenite-carbide with unstable austenite. Under these conditions the correlation between the hardness and wear resistance of the steel is disrupted. 4. For all steels tested the abrasive wear resistance decreases with dropping temperatures, which is due to increasing embrittlement of the steel.