Corrosion Test of the Steel Plate in a WJ-8 Fastener for High Speed Rail

It was found that the steel plate in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty. The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A literature review was conducted to identify the zinc coating techniques, and the companies that can provide different coating service was identified. A salt fog chamber was built that was in compliance with the ANSI B117 code, and the steel plates that were coated by the identified companies were tested using the salt fog chamber. The results indicated that the coating technique that had the best performance in preventing corrosion was the Greenkote plates with passivation. The galvanized option had the roughest coating layer, and it was the most reactive in the salt water solution. This makes it non-ideal for the dynamic rail environment because the increased friction of the plate could damage the supports, especially during extreme temperatures that would cause the rail to expand or contract. Greenkote with Phosphate and ArmorGalv also provided increased corrosion prevention with a smooth, strong finish, but it had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote with ELU passivation. The ArmorGalv sample had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote samples. This may not be a weakness in the ArmorGalv process;rather, it likely was the result of this particular sample not having the added protection of a colored coating.

Scratch behavior of high speed steels for hot rolls

The scratch behaviors of two high speed steels （HSS） for hot rolls were studied by a Micro-combi Tester, and the emphasis was placed on researching the relations between the microstructure and the scratch resistance property of different HSS. The experimental results indicate that during the scratch process, the carbides are embedded into the matrix, the penetration depth of different HSS is closely related with the matrix hardness, i.e., the higher the matrix hardness, the better the scratch resistance property; and in the matrix, the fine, dispersive carbides are beneficial to form steady friction between the indenter and the scratched materials, but the coarser carbides are easier to fall into pieces.

Influence of Cerium on Solidification Microstructure of M2 High Speed Steel

The influence of Ce on the solidification microstructures of M2 high speed steel was studied. The results show that Ce has the effect of alleviating the segregation of alloying elements such as W and Mo in high speed steel. With the addition of Ce, the amount of eutectic carbides is decreased and the flakes of the carbides are refined. Ce mainly segregates onto the interface between the eutectic carbide and austenite, and a Dart of Ce enters M2C carbide. Ce can also enhance the breaking and spheroidizing of the network eutectic carbides during high temperature heat treatment.

A study on centrifugal casting of high speed steel roll

High speed steel (HSS) rolls can replace traditional rolls such as alloyed cast iron rolls and powder metallurgical (PM) hard alloy rolls. The main reasons for the replacement are that the wear resistance of low-cost alloyed cast iron rolls is poor and the cost of high-quality PM hard alloy rolls is very high. By means of centrifugal casting, HSS rolls having excellent wear resistance have been manufactured. The hardness of the HSS roll is 6.5~67 HRC, the range of variation is smaller than 2 HRC and its impact toughness is 15 J/cm2. The wear rate of HSS rolls used in the pre-finishing stands of high-speed hot wire-rod rolling mill reaches 2.5×10-4mm per ton steel. Furthermore, the manufacturing cost of HSS rolls is significantly lower than that of PM hard alloy rolls; it is only 30 percent of that of PM hard alloy rolls.

STUDY ON CRYOGENIC PHASE CHANGE & WEAR CHARACTERISTIC OF HIGH SPEED STEEL

The microscopic structure change rule in high speed steel (HSS) after an additional cryogenic treatment was studied in this paper. Highly dispersed nano-carbide (η-Fe2 C) separated from tempering martensite was found distributed on twin planes of marten-site and dislocation places. Retained austenite was found sheared into martensite and nano-carbide separated at the same time. In addition, the tempering martensite was fine-grained. The stated changes of HSS evidently improve the lifespan of HSS cutter and fully show the advantages of nano-structure. The cryogenic treatment of HSS also improves the roughness of HSS cutter (decrease Ra number by about 50%) and greatly increases the wear resistance of HSS cutter. Further experiments on the wear characteristic of HSS cutter supported the findings mentioned above. The stated HSS treatment technology would implement nano-structure of traditional tool steel through phase change. It could be a new method to improve the performance of HSS cutter.

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SPRAY FORMED HIGH SPEED STEEL FOR WORK ROLL

The mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics of a high speed steel (HSS) for roll has been studied. As compared with the as-cast HSS, the spray-formed HSS have fine grain and segregation free microstructures. Carbides distribute uniformly. The morphology and types of the carbides in spray-formed HSS are different from those in as-cast HSS. The results of the high temperature tensile experiment show that, as to spray-formed HSS, there is a possibility of superplastic deformation in the range of 780-810℃.

Effects of electrode configuration on electroslag remelting process of M2 high-speed steel ingot

The electrode configuration determines the thermophysical field during the electroslag remelting(ESR) process and affects the final microstructure of the ingot. In this work, ingot with a diameter of 400 mm was prepared with two electrode configuration modes of single power ESR process, namely one electrode(OE) and two series-connected electrodes(TSCE). Finite element simulation was employed to calculate the electromagnetic field, flow field and temperature field of the ESR system. The results show that the temperature of the slag pool and the metal pool of the TSCE process is lower and more uniform than that of the OE process.The calculated temperature distribution of the ingot could be indirectly verified from the shape of the metal pool by the experiment. The experimental results show that the depth of the metal pool in the OE ingot is about 160 mm, while the depth of the TSCE ingot is nearly 40 mm shallower than that of the OE ingot. Microstructural comparisons indicate that coarse eutectic carbides are formed in the center of the OE ingot, whereas more even eutectic carbides appear in the center of the TSCE ingot. In general, compared with the OE process, the TSCE process is preferred to remelt high speed steel ingots.

Study on stable and meta-stable carbides in a high speed steel for rollers during tempering processes

A high speed steel （HSS） was studied for rollers in this work. The steel was quenched at 1150℃ and tempered at 520℃. The phase structures of the steel were determined by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and the hardness of specimens was measured. The volume fraction of carbides was counted by Image-Pro Plus software. The typical microstructures were observed by field emission scanning electron microscope （FESEM）. Stable and meta-stable carbides were deduced by removing the existing phases one by one in the Fe-C equilibrium calculation. It is found that the precipitated carbides are bulk-like MC, long stripe-like M2C, fishbone-like M6C, and daisy-like M7C3 during the tempering process. The stable carbides are MC and M6C, but the meta-stable ones are M2C, M7C3, and M3C.

Effect of RE-Al-N on Structures and Properties of M2 Cast High Speed Steel

M2 cast high speed steel was inoculated by addition of rare earth(RE)-Al-N, network eutectic carbides were eliminated, matrix microstructures were refined and the segregation of tungsten and molybdenum elements was relieved. In the condition that the hardness does not decrease, impact toughness obviously increases. Quenching at 1180 ℃ and three-times tempering at 560 ℃, the hardness of M2 cast high speed steel is 65～66 HRC, and impact toughness reaches 21.3 (J·cm^(-2)). Modified M2 cast high speed steel has excellent thermal fatigue resistance and high temperature wear resistance. Roller made in modified M2 cast high speed steel has excellent service effect when it is used in slit rolling mill of hot rolling bar mill.

Wear Mechanism of Cemented Carbide Tool in High Speed Milling of Stainless Steel

Adhesion of cutting tool and chip often occurs when machining stainless steels with cemented carbide tools. Wear mechanism of cemented carbide tool in high speed milling of stainless steel 0Cr13Ni4 Mo was studied in this work. Machining tests on high speed milling of 0Cr13Ni4 Mo with a cemented carbide tool are conducted. The cutting force and cutting temperature are measured. The wear pattern is recorded and analyzed by high?speed camera, scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X?ray spectroscopy(EDS). It is found that adhesive wear was the dominant wear pattern causing tool failure. The process and microcosmic mechanism of the tool’s adhesive wear are analyzed and discussed based on the experimental results. It is shown that adhesive wear of the tool occurs due to the wear of coating, the a nity of elements Fe and Co, and the grinding of workpiece materials to the tool material. The process of adhesive wear includes both microcosmic elements di usion and macroscopic cyclic process of adhe?sion, tearing and fracture.

The Effect of Intensity Pulsed Ion Beam Irradiation on Wear Resistance of High-speed Steel

The structural and phase transformations occurring in the near-surface layers of pre-quenched W6Mo5Cr4V2 high-speed steel (HSS) subjected to intensity pulsed ion beam (IPIB) melting have been investigated. The effect of IPIB irradiation on wear resistance of the HSS has also been studied. The IPIB consists mainly of Cn+(30%)^0 H+(70%), with a high beam current density of 80A/cm2, acceleration voltage of 250kV, pulse duration of 70 ns. Samples were bombarded with 1, 3, 5 pulses respectively. It has been revealed that after IPIB irradiation the initial martensite in the near-surface layer of HSS changed into austenite and produced residual stresses by using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Redistribution and interlace of dislocations in the irradiated samples were generated under the impact of shock wave. With increasing pulse times gradual liquid-phase dissolution of M6C carbide particles occurs in the near-surface layer and produces nanocrystalline MC. This process results in the decrease of martensite crystal (a-phase) and increase of austenite (y-phase) content and the dispersed carbide. Wear resistance of the HSS is improved by a factor of 2, which is explained by the formation of metastable phases such nanocrystal and residual stresses and the redistribution and interlace of dislocations.

MICROSTRUCTURE IN LASER FUSED HIGH SPEED STEEL W6Mo5Cr4V2(M2)

Microstructure of the deepest zone of high speed steel W6Mo5Cr4V2(M2)melt after laser fu-sion was found to be so fine as the ehill zone of a solidified ingot.When narrower chill zoneformed,the long columnar dendrites grow into the melt and then the fine equiaxed cellularstructure appears in upper melt region nearly surface.The substructure of cellular grains anddendrites was observed to consist of martensite and retained austenile,while the carbides asM_6C_■ Cr_7C_3 and MC distributed at their boundaries.It is believed that the highermicrohardness up to HV_(0.1)=865-960 of the laser fused structure of the alloy is due to the oc-currence of martensite.

Fatigue Behavior of High Speed Steel Roll Materials for Hot Rolling by Laser Impacting

The fatigue behavior of high speed steel （HSS） roll materials for hot rolling was researched under watercooling conditions by laser impacting. The microstructure of HSS sample and the morphologies of fatigue samples were observed by scanning electron microscope. The phase structure was detected by XRD. The morphology of situ oxide scale was observed by optical microscope, and the expansion coefficient was measured by TGA. The experiment results indicate that the cracks come into being at the carbide-matrix interface, but there are no cracks in the matrix after many times of laser impacting treatment, for the situ sample taken from the fractured roll surface, big carbides are more sensitive to the fatigue, and peel off prior to small ones. The relevant fatigue mechanisms are also discussed.

Study on Factors Affecting the Structure of High Speed Steel Ingot Produced by ESR

The influence of the metal pool depth and the local solidification time on the structure of high speed steel ingot produced by electroslag remelting (ESR) process has been studied by measuring the dendritic arm spacing and the size of the carbides. It is shown that the metal pool depth is a factor that influences the uniformity of the ESR ingot structure and not only the dendritic arm spacing, but also the size of the carbides can be influenced by the local solidification time in the solidification process of the ingot. The relationship between the melting rate during ESR process and the local solidification time has been studied. It is shown that there is an optimum melting rate at which the local solidification time is minimum as a result of the combination of the influence of the melt rate on the width of the local mushy zone and on the local solidification rate. The influence of the inoculants on the solidification structure of high speed steel produced by ESR has been studied and it is shown that the size of the grain can be significantly reduced by inoculation process.

Alloying Elements in High Speed Steels

Effects of alloying elements,Si,Nb,Ti,W,Mo,V,Al and rare earth metals on the microstructure and properties of high speed steels(HSSs) have been reviewed.More attention is paid to effects of Si on the secondary hardening and V on the morphology of eutectic carbides in HSSs.A lot of work has been carried out on the behavior of alloying elements in HSSs in the past decade,and some new types of HSSs containing silicon,aluminum or rare earth metals have been successfully developed in the world.

Semi-solid Casting of High Speed Steel Ingots Using Inclined Slope Pre-crystallization Method

Semi-solid casting of M2 high speed steel ingots was investigated by inclined slope pre-crystallization method. Effects of casting temperature and slope length on the microstructure of M2 HSS ingots were investigated. M2 cast ingots of non-dendritic primary austenite and fine eutectic ledeburite network carbide structure were obtained, with the casting temperature, slope length and angle of 1480 ℃, 500 mm and 60° respectively. Meanwhile, the microstructure of cast samples was quantitatively assessed by Image tool software. Results show that optimum mean equivalent diameter of primary austenite crystal grain is 50.8 μm, shape factor is 0.83, and mean thickness of network carbide is 5.21 μm.

Effect of ferrovanadium inoculation on microstructure and properties of high speed steel

The effect of ferrovanadium inoculation on the microstructure and properties of high speed steel (HSS) used for rolls was studied. The results showed that the as-cast eutectic carbide network tends to be broken after ferrovanadium inoculation, and the carbides are changed to rod-like or nodular shape. After heat treatment, the carbides in the inoculated HSS are spheroidized and distributed more uniformly in the matrix. The impact toughness of high speed steel with ferrovanadium inoculation is obviously improved. The action mechanism of ferrovanadium inoculation on the microstructure of the alloy is also discussed.

High temperature oxidation behavior of high speed steel for hot rolls material

The oxidation characteristics of high speed steel (HSS) were studied at 500 to 800°C. The non-isothermal oxidation and isothermal oxidation (500, 575, 650, 725, 800°C) of HSS were investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The microstruc- ture, morphology and oxide scale thickness of the isothermal oxidation samples were analyzed by optical microscope (OM), electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction spectrum (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the oxidation rate of HSS is very slow at 500 to 650°C, increasing gradually at 650 to 750°C, and drastically at 750 to 800°C, be- cause the phase transformation happens at about 750°C.

Microstructure and forming characteristics of spray-formed M42 high speed steel

M42 high speed steel （HSS）, a high grade alloy, was produced using the spray forming technology. Optical metallography （OM）,X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） were used to investigate the microstructures of the as-sprayed M42 HSS and the as-atomized powders. It is found that as-sprayed M42 HSS is composed of martensite, retained austenite and carbides. The grain size, as well as the morphology, size and distribution of the carbides have been greatly improved compared with those of the as-cast M42 steel （ a traditional process）. The size of the powder obtained at a high cold speed was ranged from 50 μm to 100μm in diameter. Its representative microstructures include dendrite, dendritic fragments, a mixture of dendrites, equiaxed grains and dendritic fragments,and equiaxed grains. The rapid solidification in the spray forming is a key factor to cause the refinement of the M42 HSS.

Influence of Rare Earth Elements on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast High-Speed Steel Rolls

The influence of rare earth （RE） elements on the solidification process and eutectic transformation and mechanical properties of the high-V type cast, high-speed steel roll was studied. Test materials with different RE additions were prepared on a horizontal centrifugal casting machine. The solidification process, eutectic structure transformation, carbide morphology, and the elements present, were all investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectrometry （SEM-EDS）. The energy produced by crack initiation and crack extension was analyzed using a digital impact test machine. It was found that rare earth elements increased the tensile strength of the steel by inducing crystallization of earlier eutectic γ-Fe during the solidification process, which in turn increased the solidification temperature and thinned the dendritic grains. Rare earth elements with large atomic radius changed the lattice parameters of the MC carbide by forming rare earth carbides. This had the effect of dispersing longpole M C carbides to provide carbide grains, thereby, reducing the formation of the gross carbide and making more V available, to increase the secondary hardening process and improve the hardness level. The presence of rare earth elements in the steel raised the impact toughness by changing the mechanism of MC carbide formation, thereby increasing the crack initiation energy.