Austenitic Manganese Steels

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses the composition, processing, and properties of austenitic manganese steel. Austenitic manganese steel is used in equipment for handling and processing earthen materials, such as rock crushers, grinding mills, dredge buckets, power shovel buckets and teeth, and pumps for handling gravel and rocks. The mechanical properties of austenitic manganese steel vary with both carbon and manganese content. Austenitic manganese steels are most commonly produced in electric arc furnaces using a basic melting practice. Heat treatment strengthens austenitic manganese steel so that it can be used safely and reliably in a wide variety of engineering applications. The approximate ranges of tensile properties produced in constructional alloy steels by heat treatment are developed in austenitic manganese steels by deformation-induced work hardening. Compared to most other abrasion-resistant ferrous alloys, manganese steels are superior in toughness and moderate in cost. Manganese steel is not corrosion resistant; it rusts readily. Many of the common applications of austenitic manganese steel involve welding, either for fabrication or for repair.