Microstructure and wear mechanism of high-strength steels for concrete mixing drum coiled at different temperatures

Abstract

ABSTRACT A comparative study to assess the abrasive wear performance of steels for concrete mixing drum, coiled at different temperatures, was conducted by MLS-225 wet sand/rubber wheel abrasion wear tester. The microstructures and mechanical properties of tested steels before and after wear tests were examined by the optical and scanning electron microscopes, electron backscatter diffraction, Vickers hardness tester and so on. The results showed that with decreasing coiling temperatures, the strength and hardness of tested steels increased, and the wear rate decreased. The complex microstructure obtained by coiling at 150°C, mainly composed of ferrite and tempered martensite, had the best wear resistance. The main wear mechanisms of all the tested steels are microcutting and microploughing, and the initiation and propagation of cracks can be considered as a submechanism of wear.