Influence of microstructure on erosion resistance of steels

• Published in: Wear 2009-10, Vol.267 (11), p.2092-2099
• Main Authors: SUCHANEK, Jan, KUKLIK, Vladimír, ZDRAVECKA, Eva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon; Chromium; Chromium steels; Contact of materials. Friction. Wear; Erosion resistance; Exact sciences and technology; Friction, wear, lubrication; Hardness; Heat treatment; Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Microstructure; Retained austenite; Slurry erosion; Steel; Structural steels; Wear
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2009.08.004

Erosive wear due to solid particle impingement is a very intensive degradation process of surface layers of metallic materials. Erosion resistance is influenced by the working conditions (impact angle, impact velocity of solid particles, size, shape, hardness and amount of impinging particles) and the parameters of the worn material like hardness and microstructure. In our experiments some structural and tool steels were tested by slurry with SiO 2 particles at a flow velocity of 20 m/s. The microstructures of the tested steels were modified in a broad range by changing the conditions of their heat treatment. Increasing pearlite share in the structure of annealed carbon and low-alloyed steels has a positive effect on their erosion resistance. The growing carbon content in the tested hardened steels increases their erosion resistance. Maximum erosion resistance was found in hardened chromium ledeburite steel. Hardened high-speed steel HS 11-0-4 in spite of its high hardness has lower erosion resistance than ledeburitic chomium steels. An increasing amount of retained austenite and decreasing carbide and martensite shares with growing quenching temperature of the tested ledeburitic chromium steels leads to the reduction of their erosion resistance.