An investigation of mechanical property and sliding wear behaviour of 400Hv grade martensitic steels

The wear performance and corresponding wear mechanism of a high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel containing Mn, Cr, Ni and Mo are reported here. The wear performance of this newly developed steel is compared with that of a commercially available wear resistant steel (Hardox 400) in dry sliding condition. The tests are run in an ambient environment at various normal loads ranging from 50 to 85 N with a sliding velocity of 0.5 m/s. It is found that the wear rate of the HSLA steel is one-third of that of Hardox 400. The analysis of the worn surface indicates that ploughing, micro-cutting, and oxidative wear are the main wear mechanisms. Phase transition is observed across the worn surface of Hardox 400. The work hardening as well as improved yield strength of the HSLA steel lead to the superior wear performance.