THERMAL CHECKING OF WROUGHT-STEEL RAILWAY WHEEL MATERIAL

Laboratory investigations were undertaken to study thermal checking in railway-car wheel steel. Five compositions of steel were investigated. Tests were designed to (a) give a measure of check sensitivity of wheel steels; (b) study microscopically the area in which the check initiates: (c) determine the critical hardness range of the material in which the check initiated; (d) determine the amount of contraction of martensite upon tempering fully hardened specimens of wheel steel; and (e) determine the sign and magnitude of the residual stresses resulting from the test procedure. The thermal-check sensitivity was found to increase with increase in carbon content within the range of carbon content considered. Hardness surveys showed that for a given class of steel the thermal checks initiated within a hardness range which was reasonably constant. The data obtained from residual-stress determination were qualitative in nature. Determination of the contraction of martensite upon tempering resulted in data that were in good agreement with previously reported works. Microscopic examinations seemed to indicate that the checks were intergranular. The microstructure varied from tempered martensite to nodular pearlite.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • Wetenkamp, H R
• Publication Date: 1953-12-2

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 9 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Equipment tests; Hardness; Metal heating; Residual stress; Stresses; Technology; Thermal degradation; Wheel rims; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Heat treatment
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Test equipment; Thermal cracks; Thermal cracks (Wheels); Wheel defects
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00040369
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Paper No. 53-A-72
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 1994 12:00AM