Effect of rare earth element Ce and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectoid rail steel

doi:10.13251/j.issn.0254-6051.2022.12.028

Abstract

Abstract: Effect of heat treatment and rare earth element Ce on inclusions, microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectoid rail steel was studied. The results show that heat treatment promotes the segregation of rare earth Ce at the interface, giving full play to the microalloying role of Ce in refining pearlite lamellar spacing, purifying and strengthening grain boundaries, modifying and refining brittle inclusions, and making the phase transformation sufficiently completed, so as to finally obtain a uniform and continuous fine pearlite lamellar structure. The Ce refines the pearlite lamellar spacing in the heat treated hypereutectoid rail to 87 nm, with a refining rate of 43.8%. At the same time, it refines the long MnS-MgO inclusions and turns them into near spherical rare earth inclusions, so that the hypereutectoid rail steel can obtain the optimal mechanical properties. The tensile strength reaches 1378 MPa, the hardness reaches 380 HBW, the percentage reduction of area after fracture increases to 23.95%, and the tensile fracture shows the characteristics of ductile fracture.

Key words: hypereutectoid rail steel, rare earthce, heat treatment, microstructure, mechanical properties

CLC Number:

TG156.1

Song Ran, Zhao Wenqian, Bao Xirong, Chen Lin, Wang Xiaodong. Effect of rare earth element Ce and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectoid rail steel[J]. Heat Treatment of Metals, 2022, 47(12): 162-167.

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