STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND ABRASIVE- WEAR RESISTANCE OF BRINAR 400 AND BRINAR 500 STEELS

Abstract

In the paper, microstructures and the examination results of abrasive-wear resistance of steel grades Brinar 400 and Brinar 500 are presented. It was found on the grounds of light and electron scanning microscopy that these steels are characterised by subtle differences in microstructures, influencing their mechanical and usable properties. In as-delivered condition, the steels have fine-grained structure with post-martensitic orientation, containing few particles of carbide phases. Such microstructures of Brinar steels and the performed chemical analyses indicate that their properties are formed during specialised operations of thermo-mechanical rolling. Generally, it can be said that the examined steels were designed according to the accepted standards of material engineering, related to low-alloy, high-strength, and abrasive-wear resistant martensitic steels. According to the above, the obtained results of structural examinations of Brinar 400 and Brinar 500 steels were referred to real abrasive-wear indices obtained by the spinning bowl method with use of various abrasive soil masses. The tests carried-out in light soil (loamy sand), medium soil (sandy loam), and in heavy soil (loam), as well as hardness measurements showed strict dependence of abrasive-wear indices on microstructures and the heattreatment condition of the examined steels. Examination results of abrasive-wear resistance of Brinar steels were compared with those of steel 38GSA in normalised conditions.