INFLUENCE OF SELF-TEMPERING TEMPERATURE ON STRENGTH OF RAILWAY WHEEL DISK AFTER ACCELERATED COOLING

Abstract

Purpose. The paper aims at estimation of resource of strength increase for railway wheel disk. Methodology. The material for research was carbon steel of railway wheel containing 0.57%C, 0.65%Si, 0.45%Mn, 0.0029%S, 0,014%P, 0,11%Cr. A railway wheel was heated to the temperatures above  and was held at this temperature until the completion of аustenite homogenization processes and then the disk was cooled at a growing rate to a certain temperature. A temperature interval of completion of the speed-up wheel disk cooling was 200-450C. Structure was studied with the use of research methods under electronic and light microscopes. After accelerated cooling the estimation of metal structure imperfection degree was carried out with the use of X-ray structural analysis method. The stress and yielding limit of carbon steel were determined at tension, at a speed of deformation . The microhardness of steel structural components was estimated using the microhardness tester of PMT-3 type. Findings. The properties complex of railway wheel carbon steel depending on the temperature of the accelerated cooling termination is determined by the correlation of soften and work-hardening processes development. The effect of work-hardening is based on blocking of mobile dislocations due to a precipitation carbon atoms and dispersion work-hardening from the formed particles of carbidic phase. At the temperatures of the accelerated cooling termination of carbon steel higher than 300-350C the decrease rate of strength properties is determined by the exceeding of total soften effect from disintegration of solid solution, acceleration of spheroidithation and coalescence of cementite particles above the dislocations blocking by the carbon atoms and dispersion work-hardening. Originality. Authors proved that the strength level of the railway wheel carbon steel from the temperature of accelerated cooling completion is determined by the influence ratio of the solid solution satiety degree and dispersion work-hardening from a carbidic phase. For the temperatures of accelerated cooling termination 200-300C a decrease of solid solution satiety degree is a basic factor, which determines the level of the strength characteristic. Practical value. When making the whole-rolled railway wheel one can increase the strength limit of disk metal using the accelerated cooling to the middle interval of temperatures, which was successfully proven by authors.