Wear characteristics of HSLA steel

HSLA steel being a promising material in numerous applications, was subjected to wear studies under dry sliding conditions at varying conditions of loads and sliding speeds. Wear debris were extensively studied under optical, stereo- and scanning electron microscopes and also by X-ray diffraction. In order to understand the wear mechanism, wear tracks were examined under optical and scanning electron microscopes. In addition, depth of strain hardened zone below sliding surface was measured under different conditions of loads. This study showed that wear rate initially increased either with increased load or sliding speed and debris generated was a mixture of oxide and metal powders, but after attaining a peak in wear rate, a decreasing trend was observed for load as well as sliding speed studied. This decreasing trend has been attained due to domination of oxidation process as a result of rise in temperature at higher values of loads and sliding speeds. These oxides formed with temperature rise covered the wear tracks and wear rate decreased. Finally, depth of strain hardened zone beneath the sliding surface was observed to increase with load.