Influence of heat and thermochemical treatment on abrasion resistance of structural and tool steels

Abrasive wear is responsible for intensive degradation of machine parts or tools. This process starts as an interaction between hard, mostly mineral, particles and the working surface. Methods of increasing the lifetime are based on application of abrasion resistant materials or creation of hard, wear-resistant surface layers or coatings on the surfaces of machine parts or tools. Carbon and low-alloy steels with different types of thermochemical treatment (case hardening, nitriding) are used in cases of low abrasion. Another method of increasing lifetime is the application of ledeburitic steels. The wear resistance of these steels depends on their chemical composition and heat treatment. The results of laboratory tests of thermochemically treated steels, heat-treated ledeburitic chromium steels and high-speed steels show the effect of the microstructure of these steels on their abrasion resistance. Abrasion resistance of carburized low-alloy steels is on the same level as in high-carbon structural and tool steels. In ledeburitic chromium steel maximum abrasion resistance was achieved by quenching from 1100 °C whilst in ledeburitic chromium–vanadium steel the optimum quenching temperature was 1150 °C. Growing abrasion resistance was caused by increasing amounts of retained austenite.