International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The effect of inclusions and corrosion products on the mechanism of wear of railway wheels made of R7 steel and also of rails made of R7 steel M76. was studied. The research was carried out by several methods: metallographic, electron microscopy, X-ray, micro-X-ray spectral analysis. The features of the formation of wear particles near nonmetallic inclusions and corrosion products related to structural changes near the treads of railway wheels and rails as well as to the interaction of steel with the surrounding atmosphere during operation were investigated. The influence of various factors on the role of nonmetallic inclusions and corrosion products in the formation of wear particles is shown, which makes it possible to predict the nature of wear of the rolling surface of railway wheels and rails under various operating conditions. The main sources and the mutual influence of various factors on the formation of wear particles near nonmetallic inclusions and corrosion products have been established, which makes it possible to predict the nature of wear of the rolling surface of railway wheels and rails under various operating conditions.

Corrosion mechanism and rate of different chemical composition and structural condition of wheel steel were investigated. It was shown that “white layers”, variation in grain size and banding of wheel steel structure results in corrosion rate. Microstructure of steel from different elements of railway wheels after operation with corrosion was investigated. Wheel steel with addition of vanadium corroded more quickly than steel without vanadium. Non-metallic inclusions are the centres of corrosion nucleation and their influence on corrosion depends on type of inclusion. Mechanism of corrosion of wheel steel corrosion was discussed.

The features of structural changes in the cove zone on the tread of worn out railway wheels were investigated. The influence of laser processing in pulsed and continuous mode on the nature of the structure and properties of wheel steel was shown. The influence of laser treatment on the increase in the hardness and wear resistance of wheel steel has been established. It was shown possibility and necessity of local laser hardening of cove zone of railway wheels tread by coming out of bainite structure. A method for improving the wear resistance of the tread by local laser treatment has been proposed.