Wear Behavior of Different Materials Applied on Horizontal Mixer Blades Used in the Processing of Total Mixed Rations

Abstract

Abstract. A horizontal mixer can realize the cutting and mixing of coarse and fine feeds and achieve the purpose of scientific feeding. Studying the wear resistance of the mixer blades can improve the service life of a horizontal mixer. The wear performance of blades made of three different materials (manganese steel, tool steel, and spring steel) was studied under laboratory conditions and working conditions. In laboratory conditions, the wear scar morphology and surface elements were analyzed by means of three-dimensional topography, scanning electron microscopy, and energy spectrum analysis. The results show that the friction coefficient, wear quality, and surface roughness of manganese steel blades had the lowest values of 0.49158, 0.0061 mg, and 4.341 µm in three groups of tests. In working conditions, the wear amount and surface roughness of the manganese steel blades in different zones of the mixer were the lowest. In addition, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results showed that the grain size of the manganese steel blades was the smallest. Therefore, compared with the tool steel and spring steel blades, the manganese steel blades showed excellent wear resistance.HighlightsThe wear characteristics of horizontal mixer blades with different materials were studied.The wear characteristics of the blades were studied under laboratory and working conditions.The effect of grain on the wear performance of the blades was studied by electron backscatter diffraction. Keywords: Blade, Grain, Horizontal mixer, Wear resistance, Wear test.