S.M. Sehri - Advanced Materials Research Center, Department of Materials Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University , Najafabad, Isfahan , Iran
H. Ghayour - Advanced Materials Research Center, Department of Materials Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University , Najafabad, Isfahan , Iran
K. Amini - Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tiran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tiran, Isfahan, Iran
H. Rastegari - Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Birjand University of Technology, South Khorasan, Iran

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of quenching and tempering temperatures on the microstructure, mechanical properties and the wear characteristics of medium carbon-high chromium wear resistant steel. In addition, the dominant wear mechanisms were studied. For this purpose, austenitizing and tempering temperatures were selected in the ranges of ۹۰۰- ۱۰۰۰ °C and ۳۰۰- ۵۰۰ °C, respectively. Mechanical properties were evaluated through hardness and impact tests as well as wear test (by dry sand/rubber wheel apparatus). Microstructure and wear and fracture surface appearances were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the measurement of retained austenite was done through X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The obtained results revealed that the best wear properties were achieved by tempering at ۴۵۰ °C due to the reduction of tendency to micro-cracking, the decrease in internal stresses, and the improvement of the impact energy. Observing the wear surfaces showed that the wear mechanism for the specimen tempered at ۴۰۰ °C was a combination of abrasive, adhesive and fatigue wear. However, abrasive wear was the only active wear mechanism for the specimen tempered at ۴۵۰ °C.

Medium carbon-high chromium wear resistant steel, Tempering, Dry sand/rubber-wheel abrasion, Wear mechanism