Effects and Mechanisms of RE on Impact Toughness and Fracture Toughness of Clean Heavy Rail Steel Original Research Article

Clean high carbon heavy rail steel was prepared by the process of vacuum induction furnace smelting, forging and rolling. Mechanisms of RE on the impact toughness and fracture toughness for clean high carbon steel were investigated. In addition, the appropriate range of RE content for clean high carbon steel was determined. Both the austenite grain size and pearlite lamellar spacing decreased due to small amount of RE, consequently the impact toughness and fracture toughness were improved evidently. When the RE content exceeded a critical value, the pearlite lamellar spacing was increased, because RE was segregated on the austenite grain boundaries, damaged the orientation relationship of pearlite transformation, caused the disorder growth and morphology degenerating of pearlite. With the increasing of RE content, both the impact toughness and fracture toughness of clean high carbon steel were gradually increased at first and then decreased. It was found that when the RE content was between 0.008 1% and 0. 008 8%, both the impact toughness and fracture toughness of clean high carbon heavy rail steel were the best. The maximum ballistic work was 21.2 J (20 °C) and 12.2 J (−20 °C), respectively. The maximum plane-strain fracture toughness was 45. 67 MPa · m1/2 (20 °C) and 37. 04 MPa · m1/2 (−20 °C), respectively.