The Effect of Finely Divided Martensite of Austenitic High Manganese Steel on the Wear Resistance of the Excavator Buckets Teeth

Abstract

An analytical review of the effect of high-temperature thermomechanical treatment on the structure and properties of steels as a possible effective method of strengthening the teeth of excavator buckets. It is shown that the application of this method can have a positive effect not only on the hardness, but also on the entire complex of their mechanical characteristics, such as plasticity, impact toughness and fatigue resistance. In relation to Hadfield steel as the most frequently used material of the bucket teeth, it is noted that with increasing deformation grade of billets from 1 to 5, tensile strength of steel increases from 570 to 1030 MPa, yield strength – from 480 to 790 MPa, relative elongation – from 14.3 to 17.9 %, relative contraction – from 17.2 to 20.1 %, impact strength KCU – from 1.51 to 2.14 MJ/m2. This article presents the results of metallographic analysis and comparative tests for abrasive wear of Hadfield steel samples after typical heat treatment practiced at bucket teeth manufacturers and thermomechanical treatment. It is established that high-temperature plastic deformation of steel samples before quenching increases their wear resistance by 1.7 times. The authors attribute the detected increase in wear resistance to the formation of fine martensite in the surface layers of steel with a needle size of 3-10 nm, which increases its hardness by 47%. It is concluded that the presence of fine martensite in the structure of Hadfield steel can increase the service life of excavator bucket teeth made of this material. The results of this study are planned to be used in the development of an improved technological process for manufacturing bucket teeth of excavators.