Wear Resistance Of Steel Research Articles

Research on high-temperature friction and wear performances of Stellite 12 laser cladding layer against coated boron steels

The stellite 12 layer was applied on H13 steel by laser cladding to increase the surface wear resistance at high-temperature. The tribological performance of stellite 12 laser cladding layer was compared with heat-treated H13 steel by pin-on-disc dry sliding tests against with Al–Si, GA (galvannealed), GI (galvanized) coated boron steels at 700 °C. The results indicated stellite 12 layer is composed of columnar, dendritic and equiaxed crystals along the section from substrate interface to the top surface without obvious cracks and other defects. Stellite 12 layer represents good wear resistance with the three kinds of coated boron steels, where the coefficients of friction (COFs) are lower than heat-treated H13 steel by 18.9%, 20.6% and 25.6% respectively, and wear rates are lower by 20%, 43% and 38% respectively. The wear mechanism of stellite 12 layer, i.e., a complex synergism involving oxidation, adhesion, diffusion, and plastic deformation, is mainly adhesive wear and oxidized wear. Compacting the oxide layer on the surface of stellite 12 pin is the key to reducing wear. In addition, the compacted oxide layer formed on the stellite 12 layer is mainly composed of oxides of Co, Cr, and transferred Al, Zn. Stellite 12 layer can improve the wear resistance of H13 steel, and friction and wear performances are affected by the compacted oxide layer. Compared with Al–Si coating, the stellite 12 cladding layer has a better antifriction effect on Zn-based steel sheet due to its thicker oxide layer. It has verified the development prospect of stellite 12 layer on reducing the surface wear at high-temperature.

Engineering Application of Nanomaterial and Ferroelectric Domain Polarization to the Dynamic Structure of the Surrounding Rock of Heavy-Duty Railway with Small Clear Intersection Tunnel

With the development of national railways and railways as one of the important channels for heavy-haul transportation, the construction of heavy-haul railways must be a rapid development, which makes it inevitable that the heavy-duty situation of small-distance interchange tunnels will appear. Nanomaterials refer to materials that have at least one dimension in the three-dimensional space in the nanoscale range (1 nm∼100 nm) or are composed of them as basic units. Ferroelectric domain polarization refers to the existence of electric domains in ferroelectrics, electric domains refer to small regions with the same spontaneous polarization direction, and the boundaries between electric domains and electric domains are called domain walls. It is also urgent to study the dynamic structure of the surrounding rocks of heavy-duty railways. This article aims to study the use of nanomaterial and ferroelectric domain technology to improve the overall strength, wear resistance, toughness, and other properties of steel to ensure the safety of the surrounding rock dynamic structure of the heavy-duty railway in the small clearance intersecting tunnel. Moreover, on this basis, this article proposes the method of spraying steel with nanomaterials and the use of ferroelectric domain polarization technology. The strength and wear resistance of steel can be improved under different nanomaterial content and the degree of ferroelectric domain polarization. Sustainability and toughness have been improved, respectively. After the wear resistance experiment and analysis, the experimental results of this article show that the impact resistance of the steel increased by 18.75%. When 0.012% of CeO2 is added, the impact toughness of the steel is increased to the maximum of 3.4 J, an increase of 16.31%, and a 37% increase in wear resistance. Under the premise of ensuring the demand for heavy-duty transportation, the safety performance and sustainability of transportation are greatly improved.

Application of ceramic nanoparticles in microstructure manipulation and simultaneously strengthening toughness and wear resistance of tool and die steels

Simultaneously improving the wear resistance and toughness can extend the service life of steel. In this study, nano-TiC-H13 steel was successfully fabricated by pre-dispersion nano-TiC/Al master alloy in conventional casting to simultaneously improve the wear resistance and toughness. The influence of nano-TiC ceramic particles on the microstructure, tensile properties, impact toughness, and wear behavior under the synergistic effect of high load and temperature was explored. Results indicated that nano-TiC ceramic particles can effectively refine the microstructure and promote the precipitation of the finer carbides, which significantly improved the properties of steel. The no-notch impact toughness (380.2 J/cm2), U-shaped notch impact toughness (36.6 J/cm2), and yield strength (1440 MPa) of nano-TiC-H13 increased by 12.7%, 31.2%, and 8.2%, respectively, compared with that of H13. Furthermore, the volumetric wear rate (8.2 × 10−10 m3/m) of nano-TiC-H13 under 450 °C and 30 N is decreased by 28.6% in contrast with H13. The high strength and plasticity in nano-TiC-H13 can resist the intrusion of debris and reduce plastic deformation. This work provides an innovative approach for the simultaneous improvement of the wear resistance and toughness of steel.

Developing ultrafine-grained structure with balanced α/γ fraction via underwater friction stir processing enables enhanced wear and corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel

Further improving the wear and corrosion resistance of duplex stainless steel (DSS) without disrupting the balanced ferrite (α)/austenite (γ) ratio is worth exploring, but very challenging. Here, we explored the feasibility of utilizing solid-state friction stir processing in air (AFSP) and underwater (UFSP) to realize surface modification of DSS. Notably, we successfully developed an ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure with balanced α/γ ratio on the DSS by UFSP, which imparts both enhanced wear and corrosion resistance to the sample surface. Further, the associated microstructure evolution mechanism during FSP of DSS in both environments is systematically elucidated. The simultaneous improvement in both wear and corrosion resistance is well correlated with the resulting microstructure characteristics. This work provides a simple and cost effective pathway to achieve a synergistic increase in the wear and corrosion resistance of DSS. We anticipate that the UFSP should be applicable to many dual-phase metallic systems.

Article: Oxy-Nitriding AISI 304 Stainless Steel by Plasma Electrolytic Surface Saturation to Increase Wear Resistance

AISI 304 SS has good corrosion resistance in a variety of environments but does not have good resistance to wear. Aggressive marine environments require materials that can withstand both the biocorrosion and the wear associated with the impact of waves, ocean currents and suspended particles. Oxy-nitriding of stainless steels can be used to increase their hardness and wear resistance. The conventional oxy-nitriding process is lengthy, and the temperature involved can affect the corrosion resistance of the material. To mitigate these problems, it was decided to study an oxy-nitriding process in plasma electrolytic conditions, using aqueous solutions of 20, 30 and 40 wt% urea. The results showed that all the concentrations evaluated gave lower levels of wear than untreated stainless steel. However, considering the amount of urea used and the environmental emissions from the waste generated, a concentration of 20% by weight of urea in the electrolyte is considered sufficient to increase up to three times the wear resistance of stainless steel. XRD, XPS and microscopy analyses showed that, in the main, the outermost layer of the steel surface treated by electrolytic plasma has a morphology of small craters of chromium and iron oxy-nitrides. A nitrogen diffusion layer was also seen below the oxy-nitrided layer.

Evaluation of Wear Resistance of AISI L6 and 5140 Steels after Surface Hardening with Boron and Copper

(1) Background: Boriding is one of the most common methods of thermal-chemical treatment due to its excellent hardness and wear resistance of the produced diffusion layers. However, it has limited application compared to carburizing and nitriding because of fragility and chipping. Introducing another alloying element into the boron media helps avoid those drawbacks and improve other surface properties of the layer. The purpose of this work is to improve the surface mechanical properties of L6 and 5140 low alloy steels by two-component surface hardening with boron and copper. (2) Methods: The treatment was performed by means of a powder-pack method using boron, copper, and aluminum powders in the following proportions: 60% B4C + 20% Al2O3 + 16% CuO + 4% NaF. The time–temperature parameters of the treatment were four hours exposure at 950 °C. Microstructure, elemental, and phase composition were investigated as well as microhardness and wear resistance of the obtained layers. (3) Results: Layers of up to 180–200 μm thick are formed on both steels as a result of treatment. Needle-like structures similar to pure boriding was obtained. The maximum microhardness was 2000 HV on L6 steel and 1800 HV on 5140 steel. These values correspond to iron borides and were confirmed by XRD analysis revealing FeB, Fe2B, and Cr5B3. The wear resistance of both steels was about ten times higher after the treatment compared to non-treated samples. (4) Conclusions: Surface hardening with boron and copper significantly improves the mechanical properties of both alloy steels. The results obtained are beneficial for different tribo-pair systems or three-body wear with abrasion and minimum impact loads.

Investigating the Wear Resistance of 18Ni300 Steel Reinforced by Nanostructured WC Particles Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Experiments

Investigating the Wear Resistance of 18Ni300 Steel Reinforced by Nanostructured WC Particles Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Experiments

Impact abrasive wear behaviour of the multiphase microstructure in a medium carbon quenched and partitioned bainitic steel

To enhance the impact abrasive wear resistance of steel for mining and metallurgy industries, a 0.3C steel with a multiphase microstructure of bainitic, martensitic and retained austenite was produced by a Q&P process involving bainitic transformation, and its wear performance under impact abrasive conditions was evaluated in contrast with fully martensitic and fully bainitic steels. The results revealed that the multiphase microstructure demonstrates outstanding combination of strength (1612 MPa), toughness (105 J), hardness (48.7 HRC) and elongation (19.2%), along with superior impact abrasive wear resistance. After 90 min of impact abrasive wear test, the multiphase microstructure shows lower wear loss than that for the fully martensitic and fully bainitic steels, which can be attributed to its high surface microhardness and increased toughness. The formation of nanograins and an increase in dislocation density as well as the retained austenite transformation leads to the higher surface microhardness. In addition, some larger craters can be observed on the wear surface of fully martensitic and fully bainitic steels, and the crack propagation depth is larger under the wear surface. In contrast, the wear surface of the multiphase microstructure presents some delamination damage, and the crack propagation depth is shallow because of the thicker deformed layer and presence of film-like austenite retained in the deformed microstructure. These results suggested that the multiphase microstructure can be used as a potential candidate structure for enhanced resistance to impact abrasive wear.

Improved wear and hot melting loss resistance of a vanadium carbide layer prepared on H13 steel

To improve surface properties of H13 steel and provide guidance for extending service life. Method: tantalizing, niobizing and vanadizing layers were prepared on H13 steel using pack cementation method under 940 °C, 7 h condition. The wear and hot melting loss resistance of the layers was evaluated. Conclusion Compared with normal treated H13 steel, the wear resistance is increased by nearly 6 times, and hot melt loss resistance is improved many times. The vanadizing layer can effectively improve the wear and hot melt resistance of H13 steel, which is perspective to prolong the service life.

Slurry erosion behaviour of HVOF sprayed VC+TiC based novel coatings: Characterization and optimization studies

The current experimental work is focused on development and characterization of HVOF sprayed VC-TiC+CuNi-Cr based coatings on hydro-machinery steel SS316. Empirical correlations for mass loss have been developed with the aid of response surface methodology (RSM) approach. Central composite design (CCD) matrix has been acquired with five different levels over four impingement parameters namely impingement angle, jet velocity, slurry concentration, and exposure time. When compared with bare SS316 steel, a significant increase in the slurry wear resistance of SS316 steel was noticed for different variants of developed coating. Moreover, ductile erosion mode was observed in coatings containing CuNi-Cr as the main component, which was reported to transform into the brittle mode with increasing VC-TiC percentage.

A Novel Carbide-Free Bainitic Heavy-Haul Wheel Steel with an Excellent Wear-Resistance under Rolling-Sliding Condition

With the rapid development of railways towards high speed and larger carrying capacity, the problem of wear and fatigue damage between wheel/rail is gradually becoming serious. However, traditional pearlite wheel/rail has reached the limit, which leads to more attention to developing a novel wheel/rail material. This study aims to report a novel carbide-free bainite wheel steel. The wear-resistance of novel steel was tested by a rolling-sliding wear experiment under heavy-haul condition and investigated the impacts of the running speeds on the damage mechanism of wear and fatigue. The results show that the yield strength of the bainite wheel was as high as 950 MPa and the hardness was 415 HV, which was superior to most of the reported typical wheel steel. During the process of wear, the surface damage of the wheel was mainly adhesive wear and fatigue damage, and the gradient strain layer (GS layer) was formed on the wheel surface. As the running speed increased, fatigue damage gradually became more serious than adhesive wear, and the shear stress and strain of the GS layer were enhanced. The higher thickness and hardening were produced on the GS layer, which is the main reason for the higher wear-resistance of the bainitic wheel under higher running speeds. In addition, the wear-resistance of the novel wheel steel was better than that of the reported wheel steel. This novel bainitic wheel is a promising wheel for heavy-haul condition applications, which could provide a guide in choosing bainitic wheel steel for the railway.

An experimental and numerical study of the solid particle erosion damage in an industrial cement large-sized fan

The present paper addresses the wear failure analysis of a large-sized centrifugal fan operating in a cement clinker grinding plant. Within cement production, the calcination at middle and high-temperature values (from 120 °C to 400 °C depending on the process parameters) of the raw material requires such a process fan, which also ensures the draft and feed of the flue gases and combustion air needed for the operation of the main equipment of the cement factory. To detect and analyze the impact conditions within the heavy-duty fan, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses were performed. The analysis of the numerical results shows that the relevant fan surfaces are affected by different impact velocities and angles, generating non-uniform erosion patterns similar to the on-field detections. Besides, the obtained comprehensive description of the flow and contaminants behaviors through the entire flow path enables setting up the subsequent experimental investigation. The erosive wear behavior of a Fe-Cr-C hardfacing cast iron and wear-resistant steel was tested through a test rig constructed for the purpose of being in accordance with the ASTM G76 standard. The test bench was adapted to manage the raw meal powder used in the cement factory to reproduce the actual operating conditions. The results show a greater capability of Fe-Cr-C hardfacing cast iron to face the erosion phenomenon in terms of lower values of material loss over the exposure time. These findings, coupled with the metallographic analysis to detect the erosion mechanisms (ductile and/or brittle), help a better prediction of the fan operating life. The investigation showed the reliability of the numerical/experimental coupled approach in assessing the actual erosion magnitude and the influence of the impact angle on the erosion phenomena. This coupled approach gains a further understanding of the proper design of manufacturing and maintenance activities, covering several project steps from material selections to the scheduled and overhaul operations. A reliable operating-life prediction allows manufacturers and operators to obtain production and economic goals.

Improved Wear and Corrosion Resistance in TiC-Reinforced SUS304 Stainless Steel

Herein, the vacuum arc-melting process is applied to incorporate various amounts of Ti and C into SUS304 austenitic stainless steel based on the high-entropy alloy concept to obtain wear- and corrosion-resistant alloys with in situ carbide reinforcements. Five compositions containing the equivalent of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 volume percentages of TiC in SUS304 stainless steel, named A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5, respectively, were designed, melted, and solidified by the arc-melting method. Microstructural analyses, hardness measurements, immersion tests in four corrosive solutions, electrochemical measurements in a 3.5 wt % NaCl(aq) solution, and tribological tests were conducted to determine the properties and explain the relevant mechanisms. A1 exhibited a eutectic structure between FCC dendrites, while A2, A3, A4, and A5 possessed proeutectic dendritic TiC, FCC dendrites enveloping the TiC dendrites, and a eutectic structure. A5 represents the optimal composition. Its hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance are 2, 14, and 4 times higher than those of SUS304, respectively. Additionally, its wear resistance is 2.5 times that of high-chromium cast iron. Consequently, A5 could have a 2.5-fold longer lifetime in wear operation. Therefore, A5 could be potentially applied in corrosive and abrasive environments, such as rotary shafts, rotors, bearings, and structural parts in food, chemical, and optoelectronic industries.

Dry sliding wear behaviour of hot-rolled air-cooled medium manganese martensitic steel

The microstructure, mechanical properties and dry sliding wear behaviour of hot-rolled air-cooled medium manganese martensitic steel at different finish rolling temperatures (FRT) were investigated. The fully martensitic structure with precipitation of acicular carbides in the matrix was obtained in the air-cooled process after hot rolling. With the decrease of FRT, the mechanical properties and sliding wear resistance of experimental steels were significantly improved. The worn surface morphology was mainly furrows, and the wear mechanism was micro-cutting. Both the width and depth of the furrows increased with the increasing hardness of the experimental steels. The mass loss rates of FRT-700, FRT-900 and Hardox450 samples were 4.53 × 10-4 g/m, 4.82 × 10-4 g/m and 5.14 × 10-4 g/m, respectively.

Production and characterization of AISI 316L stainless steel matrix hybrid composites reinforced with boron carbide and carbon nanotubes

In this study, microstructure, mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties of boron carbide (B4C) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) reinforced hybrid AISI 316L stainless steel matrix nanocomposites were investigated. The AISI 316L stainless steel alloy and 316L-1B4C-1CNT (vol%), 316L-2B4C-2CNT (vol%), 316L-4B4C-4CNT (vol%) composites were fabricated by hot pressing under vacuum conditions. The fabricated samples showed minor porosities regardless of the concentration of B4C and CNT. Microstructure investigations revealed that a slight grain refinement was achieved with increasing incorporation of B4C and CNT. Furthermore, Fe3C and Cr23C6 intermetallics progressively formed along the grain boundaries in the hybrid composites. The hardness, compressive yield strength and wear resistance of 316L stainless steel exhibited continuous improvement with increasing additions of B4C and CNT. However, the hybrid composites exhibited higher susceptibility to pitting corrosion.

Microstructural and wear properties of mild steel cladded with AISI 316L stainless steel using pulsed current gas metal arc welding process

The main objective of this study is to study the microstructure and wear resistance of mild steel (MS) of grade IS 2062 that has had an austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L) coating applied utilizing the pulsed current gas metal arc welding (PC-GMAW) technique. The PC-GMAW method was used to overcome issues with the conventional gas metal arc welding (CC-GMAW) method used for cladding AISI 316L steel over mild steel, such as a larger heat affected zone (HAZ), coarse-grained deposited weld metal microstructure, less penetration depth and higher dilution and reinforcement height. Optical microscopy (OM) was used to examine the microstructural characteristics of the clad region. Using the pin-on-disc testing machine, the wear rate of cladded specimens was recorded, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of wear surfaces. The microhardness distribution of the cladded region was examined, and the wear characteristics of the cladded specimens were correlated. According to the findings, PC-GMAW cladding is harder and more resistant to wear than a mild steel substrate. The PC-GMAW cladding exhibited higher weld metal deposition and lower dilution. Weld overlay hardness was 15.83% higher in the PC-GMAW cladding than in the mild steel substrate. The wear rate was decreased by an average of 20.18% as compared to the mild steel substrate with PC-GMAW cladding.

Effect of laser hardening on the mechanical, tribological and corrosion properties of low alloy steels

This research focuses on studying the mechanical, tribological, and corrosion behaviors of alloy steels: AISI 4340, AISI 5140, and AISI 8620 by laser hardening, respectively. In light of the tests which have been carried out meticulously, it is concluded that the optimum laser hardening parameter for all steel grades is 4 mm/s scanning speed and 1300?C surface temperature. Micro-structural changes, Vickers hardness as mechanical properties, and tribological properties with reciprocating wear tests have been carried out. Furthermore, corrosion tests have been conducted. The test results reveal that the maximum hardness appears 50-300 ?m below the surface for all laser-hardened steels. In addition, this study finds out that the wear resistance of steel is enhanced by the implementation of laser hardening. This study also determines that laser hardening has a positive impact on lifting the corrosion resistance behavior of AISI 4340 steel. Conversely, the corrosion resistance properties of AISI 8620 steel were reduced nearly by 54.17%.

Simultaneous measurement of corrosion and wear resistance of stainless steel modified by frictional reforming with aluminum oxide carrier particles under fretting conditions in seawater

Simultaneous measurement of corrosion and wear resistance of stainless steel modified by frictional reforming with aluminum oxide carrier particles under fretting conditions in seawater

Investigation on carbide dispersion modified by magnesium and rare earth in high-carbon martensitic stainless steel

Fine and uniform carbides play a beneficial role in the high hardness and wear resistance of martensitic stainless steel. This paper investigates the effect of magnesium and rare earth(RE) on the dispersion of carbides in a high-carbon martensitic stainless steel. The results show that RE-Al-O and RE-Al-O-S inclusions were generated in RE-containing steel, while Mg-Al-O+(Ca, Mn)S and MgO+CaS inclusions were in Mg-containing steel. MC, M7C3, and M23C6 types of carbides were detected in both RE-containing and Mg-containing steels, which is consistent with thermodynamic calculation. The RE-Al-O inclusion can act as heterogeneous nuclei for carbides, while Mg-containing inclusions do not promote carbide precipitation for sulfur enrichment. The three-dimensional etching test suggests that RE-containing steel has more serious network carbides and larger carbide sizes than Mg-containing steel. The carbon segregation ratio presents an “M” shape due to δ→γ phase transformation. Rare earth is easy to combine with S and weaken the inhibiting effect of carbon segregation. Thus, magnesium has a stronger inhibitory effect on carbon segregation than rare earth.

Structure of the surface layer of high-chrome steel nitridated in the elion regime in the plasma of a suspended arc discharge with a heated cathode

The purpose of this work is to reveal the patterns of formation of the structure of the surface layer of high-chromium steel subjected to nitriding in a low-pressure gas discharge plasma using a plasma generator with a hot cathode "PINK". Heating of the samples to the nitriding temperature was carried out by the ionic component of the plasma, as well as by the electron and ionic components of the plasma (elion mode). The object of the study was heat-resistant corrosion-resistant steel of the austenitic class grade 20X23H18 (foreign analogue of AISI310S). The relevance of research is due to the relatively low level of hardness and wear resistance of steels of this class. Nitriding of steel was carried out on the TRIO installation, retrofitted with a switching unit for implementing the aelion (electronic and ionic) processing mode. It has been established that the thickness of the hardened layer is (55-60) pm and weakly depends on the method of nitriding, temperature (in the range of 793-873 K), and duration (3-5 hours) of the process. A nitriding regime has been revealed that makes it possible to form a surface layer with a microhardness of 13.7 GPa (ionic heating mode) and 10.8 GPa (elion heating mode). It has been established that the high strength and tribological properties of nitrided steel are due to the formation of a nanocrystalline structure in the surface layer, the main phases of which are iron nitrides Fe4N and chromium nitrides CrN. It is shown that heating the samples to the nitriding temperature in the aelion mode, which uses the electron and ion components of the plasma, leads to a significantly lower level of material roughness compared to the samples heated during nitriding by the ion component of the plasma.