Study on wear and fatigue performance of two types of high-speed railway wheel materials at different ambient temperatures

Abstract

The wear and fatigue behaviors of two newly developed types of high-speed railway wheel materials (named D1 and D2) were studied using the WR-1 wheel/rail rolling-sliding wear simulation device at high temperature (50 °C), room temperature (20 °C), and low temperature (-30 °C). The results showed that wear loss, surface hardening, and fatigue damage of the wheel and rail materials at high temperature (50 °C) and low temperature (-30 °C) were greater than at room temperature, showing the highest values at low temperature. With high Si and V content refining the pearlite lamellar spacing, D2 presented better resistance to wear and fatigue than D1. Generally, D2 wheel material appears more suitable for high-speed railway wheels.