Studies on metallurgical properties of wire rope for safe operation in mines

This paper describes the different metallurgical properties which define the state of wire rope in mines like wear and corrosion, lubrication, micro examination, galvanization and chemical analysis. Wear and corrosion affects primarily on outer surface and sometime in may penetrate deeper and change the mechanical property. In abrasive wear, wire and strand movement is restricted, therefore the risk of failure by bending fatigue is increased and reduction of wire area can lead to failure under tensile load. Whereas lubrication retards corrosion and therefore proper lubrication helps in preventing premature failure due to abrasion, fatigue and corrosion. Micro structural study of wire rope reveals both manufacturing defects as well as service degradation. Defects like grain distortion, harmful inclusion, decarburization, damage of zinc coating, corrosion pits etc. is clearly visible in microstructural studies. Galvanization of wire rope protects it from corrosion as well as it has a good fatigue resistance. Chemical testing of wire rope however ensure quality and safety in mining. The importance of these metallurgical parameters has also been highlighted in a case study of failure analysis of wire rope