Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings
This work examines defect (spalling) in a railway crossing (frog) removed from a heavy-haul railway after 120 Milling Gross Tons (MGT). The frog was manufactured using standard Hadfield steel. The steel microstructure evolution was analyzed to understand crack initiation and propagation during servi...
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| Language: | English |
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University of Kragujevac
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Tribology in Industry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2024/2024-4/2024-4-08.html |
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| author | Gustavo Tressia Tiago Tepedino Mohammad Masoumi Juan Ignacio Pereira |
| author_facet | Gustavo Tressia Tiago Tepedino Mohammad Masoumi Juan Ignacio Pereira |
| author_sort | Gustavo Tressia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work examines defect (spalling) in a railway crossing (frog) removed from a heavy-haul railway after 120 Milling Gross Tons (MGT). The frog was manufactured using standard Hadfield steel. The steel microstructure evolution was analyzed to understand crack initiation and propagation during service. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) methods were employed to characterize microstructural changes near the crack region. Furthermore, local mechanical properties were assessed using nanoindentation tests and sub size tensile tests. SEM analysis revealed that twinning is the primary work-hardening mechanism, with the absence of phase transformation confirmed by XRD. The interaction of dislocation walls and twin structures generated by twinning-induced plasticity increased the local hardness of Hadfield steel up to 8.5 GPa, substantially reducing ductility. Peak broadening of austenite phases was observed, indicating significant crystal defect densities under cyclic loading. Microstructural analysis in defect regions showed that these defects originated from the nucleation and propagation of cracks in grain boundaries with carbides. This investigation demonstrates that the reduced service life of the railway frog is associated with manufacturing process defects and contributes to understanding material deformation mechanisms, aiding in the development of more resilient steels for such applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3dd638064f0f4fe7b6dd405ec8d66a9c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0354-8996 2217-7965 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Kragujevac |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tribology in Industry |
| spelling | doaj-art-3dd638064f0f4fe7b6dd405ec8d66a9c2025-01-09T10:30:55ZengUniversity of KragujevacTribology in Industry0354-89962217-79652024-12-0146463965010.24874/ti.1744.08.24.10Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway CrossingsGustavo Tressia0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1255-0483Tiago Tepedino1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9458-2846Mohammad Masoumi2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4365-6734Juan Ignacio Pereira3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9666-720XInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilLoram do Brasil, Curitiba, PR, BrazilUniversidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, SP, BrazilEscola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilThis work examines defect (spalling) in a railway crossing (frog) removed from a heavy-haul railway after 120 Milling Gross Tons (MGT). The frog was manufactured using standard Hadfield steel. The steel microstructure evolution was analyzed to understand crack initiation and propagation during service. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) methods were employed to characterize microstructural changes near the crack region. Furthermore, local mechanical properties were assessed using nanoindentation tests and sub size tensile tests. SEM analysis revealed that twinning is the primary work-hardening mechanism, with the absence of phase transformation confirmed by XRD. The interaction of dislocation walls and twin structures generated by twinning-induced plasticity increased the local hardness of Hadfield steel up to 8.5 GPa, substantially reducing ductility. Peak broadening of austenite phases was observed, indicating significant crystal defect densities under cyclic loading. Microstructural analysis in defect regions showed that these defects originated from the nucleation and propagation of cracks in grain boundaries with carbides. This investigation demonstrates that the reduced service life of the railway frog is associated with manufacturing process defects and contributes to understanding material deformation mechanisms, aiding in the development of more resilient steels for such applications.https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2024/2024-4/2024-4-08.htmlcrossinghadfield steelrailway |
| spellingShingle | Gustavo Tressia Tiago Tepedino Mohammad Masoumi Juan Ignacio Pereira Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings Tribology in Industry crossing hadfield steel railway |
| title | Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings |
| title_full | Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings |
| title_fullStr | Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings |
| title_short | Microstructural Evolution and Strain-Hardening Behavior in Hadfield Steel Railway Crossings |
| title_sort | microstructural evolution and strain hardening behavior in hadfield steel railway crossings |
| topic | crossing hadfield steel railway |
| url | https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2024/2024-4/2024-4-08.html |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gustavotressia microstructuralevolutionandstrainhardeningbehaviorinhadfieldsteelrailwaycrossings AT tiagotepedino microstructuralevolutionandstrainhardeningbehaviorinhadfieldsteelrailwaycrossings AT mohammadmasoumi microstructuralevolutionandstrainhardeningbehaviorinhadfieldsteelrailwaycrossings AT juanignaciopereira microstructuralevolutionandstrainhardeningbehaviorinhadfieldsteelrailwaycrossings |