Experimental characterization of the mechanical properties of railway wheels manufactured using class B material

The railway system has an important role in developed countries, it is possible to see, nowadays, passenger trains crossing the Old Continent and achieving impressive speeds in the East; at the same time, cargo wagons are hitting load-by-axle records in North America. Railway wheels are a critical component to this system, as any failure can lead to derailment, potentially causing fmancial loss and/or fatal accidents. The present work aims to analyze the mechanical properties of forged wheels manufactured according to the American standard AAR Class B (produced at the NM, Brasil facility), usually applied in passenger cars due its chemical composition (around the eutectoid point) which achieves high mechanical resistance combined with moderated toughness. The mechanical tests to evaluate the mechanical strength, ductility, fracture toughness and hardness were performed in accordance with the European standard BS EN 13262 (location of sample and method test), as follows: tensile tests, impact tests, toughness tests and hardness Brinell tests (hardness survey/hardness map). The results are in accordance with the microstructure and chemical composition, and will be employed in future investigations for the numerical validation of the mechanical behavior for multiaxial fatigue conditions and for failure analysis reports. (C) 2016, PROSTR (Procedia Structural Integrity) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.