Influence of Microalloying on Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties of Wear Resistant Coach and Wagon Wheel Steel

Micro alloy steels are emerging as a potential new material to replace conventional carbon steels to achieve longer coach and wagon wheel life. Two commercial heats of micro alloy steels were made and processed into 910 mm outer diameter (O.D.) coach and wagon wheels. The properties of normalized wheels were evaluated and compared with those for R-19/93 conventional carbon grade wheel. It was found that normalized wheels properties such as fracture toughness, Charpy impact energy, endurance limits, and wear resistance were superior to that of R-19/93 grade wheel.