Tailoring the Microstructural Characteristics for Enhancing the Wear Performance of Cu-Based Low-Carbon Steel
摘要
Technological advancement have increased the demand for materials with improved wear resistance, whilst maintaining cost-efficiency and environmental sustainability. Copper-based low-carbon steels have emerged as promising candidates to meet these requirements. This study investigates the dry sliding wear behaviour of two such steels with different Cu contents (LCu: 0.60 wt pct and HCu: 1.10 wt pct), quenched from various austenitization temperatures (820–920 °C, 0.5 hour soaking). The quenched structures primarily consist of martensite and bainite. Wear tests were conducted using a pin-on-disc tribometer under a normal load of 30 N and a sliding velocity of 1 m s−1 at room temperature. The results show that wear performance is influenced by flash temperature variation, which alters the roughness and the nature of evolved oxides. The rise in flash temperature has been predicted through Greenwood-Williamson model. In 920 °C quenched specimens, a moderate increment in flash temperature develops thin (~ 1 µm), adherent Fe3O4 layers and dislocation substructures in the severely deformed zone, which together improve wear resistance, leading to a lower specific wear rate (SWR) of 0.42 × 10−5 mm3 m−1 N−1. In contrast, enhanced flash temperatures in 820 °C quenched specimens lead to thicker (5–6 µm), brittle and loosely attached FeO layers, reducing wear resistance and increasing SWR (0.95 × 10−5 mm3 m−1 N−1).
Graphical Abstract