Two-body abrasion resistance of high carbon steel treated by quenching-partitioning-tempering process

Abstract

The two-body abrasion behavior of a high carbon steel was investigated by applying quenching-partitioning-tempering process (Q&PT). Increasing the partitioning temperature from 250 to 400 °C, much carbon was consumed to precipitate the cementite carbides and thus less carbon was left to participate in the partitioning process, resulting in the decrease of the retained austenite volume fraction and refinement of blocky austenite. Compared with quenching-tempering treatment, both impact toughness and wear resistance of the steel were improved by applying a series of Q&PT treatments, which was associated with the formation of film-like and blocky austenite during partitioning stage. The abrasion behavior of the specimens was evaluated by both the reciprocating sliding test and rubber wheel test to increase the comparability and validness of the results. It is found that the initial hardness appeared to play a greater role in the wear resistance in reciprocating sliding wear, while the amount of retained austenite transformed during abrasion showed proportional relationship with the wear resistance in the rubber wheel test. A significant difference in groove characteristics was found in the rubber wheel wear test, revealing the narrow and deep grooves with plastic deformation and stretch-out ridges for Q&PT specimens and wide and shallow grooves with delamination at the edges for QT specimen.