Erosion behavior of high silicon bainitic structures: II: High silicon steels

Abstract

The erosion behavior of two austempered high silicon (2.5 wt.% Si) steels, one containing 1 wt.% Mn and the other 1 wt.% Ni, has been compared with the mechanical property variations after austempering for various times in the upper bainite temperature range (420 °C). For both steels the erosion resistance is a maximum for austempering times near the end of stage II. The erosion resistance correlates directly with the tensile toughness and with the percentage elongation divided by the percentage reduction in area and inversely with the hardness in all three stages of austempering. It is shown that the strain-hardening coefficient peaks at the minimum erosion rate and that the high strain-hardening character of the retained austenite in these austempered steels is beneficial to erosion resistance. Comparison with the austempered cast irons in Part I of this study shows that the graphite nodules of the cast irons have no significant effect upon erosion rate.