Comparison of the quality of rail steel from the nineteenth century converter processes and the modern oxygen-converter process

This article presents the results of comparative tests for rails produced at the end of the nineteenth century using the steel production processes used at that time in relation to currently produced rails in the standard, not heat-treated R260 steel grade, and heat-treated high-hardness R350HT steel grade. Detailed results of steel quality assessment are presented, including oxide cleanness tests and macro- and microstructure analyses for each rail. The influence of the main elements on the morphology of the microstructure of individual rails is discussed, illustrating the description with numerous photos. An analysis of the chemical composition of each steel grade is provided, analysing the differences in the chemical composition of rails from different manufacturing processes. The results of hardness measurements in the rail head as an indicator of the rails' abrasion resistance are also presented. The article also discusses the steel production processes used since the mid- nineteenth century, taking into account their positive and negative features in relation to the currently used steel production process.