Friction and wear behavior and mechanism of low carbon microalloyed steel containing Nb

Dry sliding friction and wear test of Nb containing low carbon microalloyed steel was carried out at room temperature, and the effect of Nb on the wear behavior of the steel, as welll as the mechanism was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) were employed to analyze the morphology and composition of the worn surface, and the structure evolution of the plastic deformation layer. The carbide content and type in the steel were analyzed by the electrolytic extraction device and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results demonstrate that the addition of 0.2% Nb can refine the grain and generate NbC to improve the wear resistance of the steel. By enhancing the load and speed of wear experiment, the wear mechanism of the test steel with 0.2% Nb changes from slight oxidation wear to severe adhesion wear and oxidation wear. Compared with the load, the increase in the rotation speed exerts a greater influence on the wear of the test steel.