Evaluation of local strength via microstructural quantification in a pearlitic rail steel deformed by simultaneous compression and torsion

• Pearlitic steels are commonly used for railway rails because they combine good strength and wear properties. During service, the passage of trains results in large accumulation of shear strains in the surface layer of the rail, sometimes leading to crack initiation. Knowledge of the material properties versus the shear strain in this layer is therefore important for fatigue life predictions. In this study, fully pearlitic R260 rail steel was deformed using a bi-axial torsion-compression machine to reach different shear strains. Microstructural parameters including interlamellar spacing, thickness of ferrite and cementite lamellae and dislocation density in the ferrite lamellae, as well as hardness were quantitatively characterized at different shear strain levels. Based on the microstructural observations and the quantification of the microstructural parameters, the local flow stresses were estimated based on boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening models. A good agreement was found between the estimated flow stresses and the flow stresses determined from microhardness measurements. d

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Teknisk mekanik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Applied Mechanics (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Annan materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Other Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Dislocation density

Hardness

Pearlitic rail steel

Strengthening mechanisms

TEM

Carbides

Ferrite

Pearlite

Plastic flow

Rails

Shear strain

Torsional stress

Transmission electron microscopy

Dislocation densities

Dislocation strengthening

Micro-structural observations

Microhardness measurement

Microstructural parameters

Microstructural quantifications

Pearlitic rail steels

Strengthening (metal)

Materialteknik

Materials Engineering

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)