All mechanical components experience some degree of wearing over time. It is a symptom of the innate abrasive forces of any industrial application. The intra-component mating surfaces of heavy industrial equipment may degrade due to continuous friction and gradual reduction of lubricative substances. Continuous contact with hard surfaces or geological strata can dull the buckets of earth-moving equipment, resulting in significantly reduced equipment efficiency and substantial maintenance or replacement costs. There is a multiplicity of abrasive factors that can damage even the hardest-wearing components for demanding applications such as mining and the wear industry.
Wear resistant steels are characterised by their outstanding abrasion resistance properties, and are routinely used for heavy wear applications due to this distinct mechanical behaviour. This article will explore the structure, the mechanical capacities, and the potential applications of wear resistant steels in more detail:
Martensitic Wear Resistant Steel
Wear resistant steel products are typically fabricated from alloys with medium-to-high carbon contents, which is critical for the ultra-hardness values and impact resistance properties of abrasion resistant steel grades. During the formation phase, allotropes of the iron alloy are rapidly quenched to interrupt the diffusion of carbon atoms from the material’s crystalline structure. This results in the formation of carbon-saturated martensite that rigidifies the alloy to provide unparalleled hardness values.
The Mechanical Values of Wear Resistant Steel
The distinct mechanical values of wear resistant steel grades hinge on their alloying compositions. Micro-structured martensitic steels feature a carbon content of up to 0.30%, and as much as 0.50% thermally-resistant molybdenum. This highly-formable alloy can be machined as cut lengths and heavy plates, with hardness values ranging from 450 – 540 Brinell.
Wear resistant steel grades conventionally maintain a low to medium molybdenum content in the 0.50% region, while the carbon content may be reduced to as low as 0.18%. Such grades would be categorised as low-carbon steels, yet they still exhibit hardness values exceeding 270 Brinell and tensile strengths of 1,000 MPa.
Applications of Wear Resistant Steel
Steel plates and lengths with outstanding abrasion resistant qualities are specialised for demanding wear applications where components are regularly exposed to frictive forces through sliding or impacts. Earth moving and mining equipment, industrial hoppers, funnels, and feeders, and industrial wear platforms are routinely constructed using wear resistant steel grades.
Wear Resistant Steel Solutions from Masteel
Masteel supplies a broad range of outstanding steel products and services across a reliable global supply network. Our wear resistant steel products can be machined to distinct dimensions with varying mechanical values for unique customer requirements. These bespoke products can be shipped worldwide, safely and securely.
Our wear resistant steel grades are among the strongest alloy steels products from Masteel, with potential hardness values tripling the maximum hardness of conventional structural steels.
If you would like any more information about our wear resistant steel grades, please do not hesitate to contact us.