Effect of microstructure on the abrasive wear resistance of steels with hardness 450 HV

Hardness has been considered the main factor controlling the abrasive wear of steels. However, microstructure also affects the wear behavior. Four steels with different microstructures were produced with a Gleeble 3800 thermomechanical simulator and tested for abrasive wear behavior. Different cooling rates and heat treatments were applied to obtain a surface hardness of approximately 450 HV. Mainly tempered martensite, pearlite and some bainite could be observed in the microstructures. Scratch testing with a CETR UMT-2 tribometer was conducted to produce wear tracks. The results revealed that each steel showed distinct wear behavior