Surface Temperature Change of U75V 60 kg/m Heavy Rail During Heat Treatment

Abstract

The U75V 60 kg/m heavy rail samples were heated to 900 °C in a resistance furnace for a fixed duration of 50 min. Under this condition, the samples were austenitized totally. Then, the samples were dragged out of furnace and cooled for 25 s in the open air. After that, the samples entered into the air spraying channel, and were cooled from the top and both sides by compressed air. During this period, main technical parameters were changed such as the distance between spray nozzles and surface of rail head, air pressure, air spraying time and air temperature. So under laboratory condition, optimal heat-treating parameters of U75V 60 kg/m heavy rail were determined as the distance between spray nozzles and surface of rail head of 15 mm, air pressure of 0. 26 MPa, cooling time of 80 s, and air temperature of 28 °C. The surface temperature at different positions of heavy rail was measured before and after heat treatment, and the temperature changing law was determined. The self tempering occurred on the surface of rail head after heat treatment, and the tempering temperature became the largest (about 3 min) after heat treatment, separately 528, 524 and 536 °C at the center, top fillet and bottom fillet of rail head. The heavy rail was cooled in open air after heat treatment; during this period, the temperature gap on the surface of heavy rail became smaller and smaller, and was reduced to zero when being cooled for 20 min.