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A train experiences different slip ratios at the wheel/rail contact point as it moves along the rail track, which influences the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear properties of wheel and rail materials. This variation in slip ratios is caused by a change in contact area between the wheel and rail head at curves, as the slip ratio increases compared with when a train is moving on a straight track. When the train is moving on a straight track, the wheel is found to be in contact with the rail head; but that changes when moving around curves, as the wheel flange will now be in contact with the gauge corner of the rail, affecting the severity of wear. Therefore, more research needs to be done to understand the role that slip ratio plays in the wear performance of wheel and rail materials in order to be able to develop models or systems that could be used to predict preventive maintenance. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the slip ratio on the wear performance of class B wheels against softer R260 rail steels under rolling and sliding conditions, using a twin-disc setup developed at the University of Pretoria. The results showed that the severity of wear was heavily dependent on the slip ratio - i.e., it increased with the slip ratio, with class B wheels performing better than the softer R260 rail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Typical factors affecting the wheel-rail dynamic response are comprehensively considered to reveal the short-term load characteristics of frog under complex conditions. Meanwhile, based on the ellipsoidal Gaussian extrapolation theory, long-term wheel-rail load characteristics are obtained. • Combined with the strain energy fatigue parameter theory, a prediction method for the fatigue life of nose rail under complex conditions based on load spectrum preparation was proposed. • The location between the 30 mm and 35 mm sections of the nose rail has the shortest rolling contact fatigue crack initiation life and should be focused on during damage inspection. The rail profile irregular variation and wheel-rail relationships complexity at the gap in the frog enhance the wheel-rail impact forces, frequently resulting in rolling fatigue damage under complex cyclic loads. Therefore, it is particularly important to study the transient rolling contact load characteristics of fixed frog and to compile load spectrum considering various complex conditions for analyzing the fatigue damage of frog and extending the service life of structure. In this paper, a 3D transient FE model of wheelset and fixed frog is established, revealing rolling contact behavior of wheel-rail in frog area from both macro and mesoscopic perspectives. In order to investigate long-term load characteristics of wheel and rail under complex service conditions, the changes of line conditions, load conditions, rail wear state and other influencing factors in actual operation are taken into account. Based on elliptic Gaussian kernel density theory, a method for compiling the load spectrum of fixed frog nose rail is proposed, and the FP method is used for fatigue crack initiation life prediction of nose rail in fixed frog. The results show that the force state is more severe when passing through the frog in straight reverse direction, and resonance is prone to occur in the third and fifth vertical bending modes of the frog, as well as the fourth and sixth vertical bending modes of the stock rail. The increase in factors such as speed, axle load, wheelset lateral displacement towards frog side and wing rail wear will exacerbate wheel-rail impact and shorten frog service life. Different factors have an impact on the overall amplitude, oscillation center range, and maximum frequency load of the wheel-rail force in the long-term load spectrum of the frog. The fatigue crack initiation area of nose rail is mainly in 30 mm–35 mm sections, which is consistent with the on-site flaw detection results, verifying the accuracy of the calculation method developed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) behaviour of through-hardened AISI 4140 samples under formulated lubricant with nano-graphene additives were investigated. Results showed that the reference oil added with 1% (wt.) of nano-graphene particles has significantly improved life by 6 folds. The increased RCF performance is attributed to the efficient action of graphene nano particle which improves the antiwear and pitting resistance of contact pairs. Moreover, spectroscopy and microscopy analyses indicated that graphene particles are adsorbed on the contact surface and delay the surface pit formation. Adding nano-graphene particles in the reference lubricant is an effective way to improve the RCF life under thin oil having low lubricant viscosity and also for the samples having lesser surface hardness such as through- hardened compared to induction-hardened samples. • RCF studies on through hardened (TH) and induction hardened (IH) AISI 4140 steel. • Improved RCF life of IH steel attributed to high compressive residual stress and hardness. • Graphene nano-lubricant (GNL) improves RCF performance of TH steel. • Adsorbed graphene – decreases the wear rate, surface pitting and its propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygonal wear is a type of damage commonly observed on the railway wheel tread. It induces wheel-rail impacts and consequent train/track components failure. This study presents a finite element (FE) thermomechanical wheel-rail contact model, which is able to cope with the three possible generation and development mechanisms of polygonal wear: initial defects, thermal effect, and structural dynamics. The polygonal wear-induced impact contact and further development of wear are simulated. The simulated elastic contact solutions are verified against the program CONTACT. Different material properties (elastic, elasto-plastic and elasto-plastic-thermo, i.e. with thermal softening) and initial polygonal profiles are then applied to the FE model to investigate the influence of wheel/rail material and wear amplitude on wheel-rail contact stress and wear development. The simulations indicate that the wheel-rail impact-induced temperature may reach up to 362 ℃ at the contact interface, and the high temperature at the contact area influences wheel-rail contact stress and wear depth. • An innovative thermomechanical FE model is presented to study polygonal wear growth. • The simulated contact solutions are verified against the program CONTACT. • Using elastic material models causes overestimation of contact stress and wear depth. • Incorporating thermal effects is crucial for wear predication with high slip ratio. • The simulated contact temperature reaches up to 362 ℃ at the wheel-rail interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear and Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) on wheels and rails are influenced by relative motions between the studied rail and wheel pair, and therefore influenced by train dynamics. Wear and RCF assessments using a train dynamics approach provide more accurate and comprehensive results comparing with conventional assessments that often do not consider train dynamics. In addition, considering material property differences, currently available rail wear maps are not able to accurately describe the wear performance of materials that have significantly different properties. This paper presented a method for rail/wheel wear and RCF assessments using 3D train dynamics models. The use of train models allows the consideration of coupler forces, traction, and brakes during the assessment. Wear assessments were conducted by using an in-house rail wear map model developed from the twin disc wear machine at the Centre for Railway Engineering (CRE). The new rail wear map was developed by using the AS 60 rail material (hardness 340 HB). The results indicated that the methods proposed in this paper could be used for rail/wheel wear and RCF assessments. Traction/braking forces and coupler lateral forces had evident influences on wear and RCF assessment. Different wear maps were also shown to have significant influences on the wear rate results. • A more comprehensive method to assess wheel-rail wear and RCF. • A new wear map for the AS 60 rail material. • Evidence of influences of traction/brake, coupler forces, and wear maps for wear and RCF assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the damage and defects related to rolling contact fatigue (RCF), together with wear occurring at the rail surface, the microscopic characteristics of the rail material change with the accumulation of wheel cycles. To find the relationship between rail material characteristics and RCF damage under wheel-rail contact situations, a series of twin-disc rolling-sliding tests, based on real wheel-rail contact situations at a radius of 80 mm rail profile, was established for a heavy-haul railway in China. The microscale characteristics of the rail disc contact surface was researched, including crack, wear, roughness, and hardness of the U75V rail with different load cycles. The results show that the damage mechanism of RCF and wear alternately dominates the rail disc surface at the microscale, taking a certain cycle as a boundary which makes the RCF crack number and wear rate have opposite evolutionary trends. The above factors also affect the wear at the surface rail discs, alternating between fatigue and adhesion. Meanwhile, increasing the surface micro-hardness leads to a decrease in the relative wear rate and an increase in the roughness, length and number of RCF cracks. The plastic deformation layers, including the severely deformed layer (SDL) and the transition layer (TL), almost maintain the same thickness and the dynamic equilibrium increases during the cycles. Two kinds of cracks are initiated and propagated at the rail disc surface, one at the SDL and the other at the junction of SDL and TL. The number of each kind of crack depends on the SDL thickness. • The RCF and wear mechanisms dominated the rail surface alternately by a certain cycle. • Increasing the microhardness makes wear decreasing followed by an increase in roughness and RCF cracks. • The adhesive and fatigue wear happened alternately during the cycles. • The fracture mode of along or through the crystal depends on plastic deformation layer. • The thickness of the severely deformed and transition layers changes on opposite while keeps the entire thickness constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A 3D wheel-rail rolling contact FE model was established based on measured corrugation and hardness distribution of rails. • The effect of uneven hardness distribution on the stress-strain distribution within the wheel-rail contact area was analysed. • The wheel-rail rolling contact behaviour in the corrugation zone changes significantly after work hardening. • Work hardening has a major effect on the difference in wear between the crest and the trough. The process of work hardening in the corrugation zone of the steel rail results in an uneven distribution of hardness, with higher hardness in the corrugation troughs and lower hardness in the corrugation crests. To study the influence of hardness on the rolling contact behavior of the wheel-rail at corrugation zone, a three-dimensional wheel-rail transient rolling contact finite element model is established based on the measured corrugation and hardness distribution of the rail to reveal the influence of the non-uniform distribution of hardness at corrugation zone on the wheel-rail contact state and the wear and fatigue of the rail surface. The results indicate that: (1) work hardening in the corrugation zone leads to an increase in equivalent stress and strain within the contact patch between the wheel and rail. However, due to the increase in yield strength, plastic deformation and residual strain are somewhat reduced; (2) The uneven distribution of hardness in the corrugation zone results in an elevation of longitudinal shear strain between the wheel and rail, which may initiate tangential fatigue cracks and spalling of the steel rail surface; (3) the wear on the rail surface is large near the wave crest and small near the wave trough, work hardening will change the wear difference between the wave crest and wave trough while reducing the wear, resulting in the "peak shaving and valley filling" phenomenon developing faster in the early wave wear period and slower in the later period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of contact forces on rail uneven longitudinal wear was investigated using three series of rolling tests, including tests with the same tangential force and varying normal force, tests with the same normal force and varying tangential force, and tests with varying tangential and normal forces. Results indicated that the effect of tangential force on rail uneven longitudinal wear was greater than that of normal force. When the tangential force was the same, rail uneven longitudinal wear occurred under the small normal force condition. As the normal force increased, the wear rate decreased. With the same normal force, rail uneven longitudinal wear occurred under the large tangential force condition. The main damage of the unevenly worn rail was oxidative wear and fatigue wear. The oxidative wear and ploughing were more severe at the crest. Plastic deformation, the degree of grain refinement and fatigue cracks were more severe at the trough. More severe fatigue cracks at the trough lead to more severe wear and then the aggravation of rail uneven longitudinal wear. • The influence of normal force and tangential force on rail uneven longitudinal wear was studied. • The effect of contact forces on rail uneven longitudinal wear was quantified. • The wear and rolling contact fatigue behaviors of rail were investigated in detail. • The damage mechanism of rail uneven longitudinal wear was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The out–of–roundness of wheel treads are an inherent degradation characteristic of the wheels of railway vehicles, and the interface behaviour of the wheel and rail caused by out–of–roundness features has essential research value in high–speed train running safety and quality. Sliding–rolling contact wear testing was conducted to evaluate the effect of the out–of–round wheel on the wheel–rail damage behaviour, by using a twin–disc setup. The effects of four wheels, three wheels of different eccentricities and one normal wheel were taken as a control group. The characteristics of the wheel–rail interface adhesion, wheel surface damage and compressive residual stress (CRS) distribution were compared and analysed. The results showed a dramatic increase in the fluctuation amplitude of the wheel–rail vertical force of the eccentric wheels, and the adhesion coefficient of the wheel–rail interface significantly decreased. Furthermore, eccentric wheels dramatically accelerate the wear loss of the rail used as a counterpart during wheel–rail rolling contact. The surface damage behaviour of the eccentric wheels is obviously different along the circumferential direction, and non–uniform wear was observed. The damage mechanism of the worn surface presented varying characteristics, which could be divided into a severely damaged zone (located at the maximum of the rolling radius r max) and a slightly damaged zone (located at the minimum of the rolling radius r min). The surface contact stress of the severely damaged zone was high, this finding can be explained by the extremely rough worn surface caused by the severe fatigue delamination characteristics and the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks in the severely damaged zone. Furthermore, the values of surface hardness and residual stress were relatively low. By contrary, an adhesion layer was observed on the worn surface of the slightly damaged zone. The adhesion layer protects worn surface in the slightly damaged zone was relatively flat, and the CRS was relatively high. [Display omitted] • The influence of eccentric wheels on the adhesion and damage characteristics of wheel-rail sliding-rolling contact interface were discussed and studied. • Two different types of damage, that is, slightly and severely damaged zones, were identified and compared, and their failure mechanisms were revealed, respectively. • Response of contact stress, residual stress and material removal mechanisms under different eccentricity were summarized and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As traffic density and axle loads increase, the macroscopic wheel-rail contact can lead to severe rail wear. This paper constructs a multi-scale analysis framework from macroscopic force characteristics to microscopic wear mechanisms based on explicit finite element methods and molecular dynamics models. The study shows that the mutual proximity and annihilation of reverse dislocations in the rail material under the action of wheel-rail forces is an important cause of grain boundary fragmentation, while the proliferation of dislocations on the Subsurface leads to work hardening of the rail. The analytical framework proposed in this paper achieves a multiscale correlation between wheel-rail macroscopic contact and material microscopic response, and the conclusions obtained reveal the microscopic wear mechanism of rail materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study determined the influence of discrete laser spot hardening on the scuffing wear and rolling contact fatigue resistance of Cu-Ni austempered ductile iron (ADI) specimens. The frequency of the single laser pulses were such so as to produce patterns of separated spots, adjacent spots or overlapping spots. Lubricated sliding wear tests were carried out to determine the behaviour of ADI under starved lubrication conditions, usually occurring during the start-up of gears. ADI specimens hardened with adjacent and separated laser spots displayed higher resistance to scuffing than the surfaces treated with overlapping laser spots and the control samples (those tested in the as-austempered condition). Results obtained also show that laser hardening increased the average rolling contact fatigue life over the as-austempered ductile iron specimens. This improved performance was attributed to the higher volume of martensite formed and hence higher surface hardness, and also the residual compressive stresses induced in the laser-treated surfaces. This benefit outweighed the negative effect of the slight roughness induced by the laser treatment. Highlights • Overlapping laser spots caused back-tempering. • Scuffing tests showed that adjacent laser spots exhibited the best performance. • Laser hardening improves the rolling contact fatigue resistance of ADI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a wheel life prediction model considering wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is developed and applied to a heavyhaul locomotive. For wear calculations, a methodology based on Archard's wear calculation theory is used. The simulated wear depth is compared with profile measurements within 100,000 km. For RCF, a shakedown-based theory is applied locally, using the FaStrip algorithm to estimate the tangential stresses instead of FASTSIM. The differences between the two algorithms on damage prediction models are studied. The running distance between the two reprofiling due to RCF is estimated based on a Wöhler-like relationship developed from laboratory test results from the literature and the Palmgren-Miner rule. The simulated crack locations and their angles are compared with a five-year field study. Calculations to study the effects of electro-dynamic braking, track gauge, harder wheel material and the increase of axle load on the wheel life are also carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friction modifier (FM) is a newly developed third medium to control the service performance of wheel/rail. The wheel/rail performance is influenced by the wheel/rail contact conditions and FM application parameters. Therefore, the effects of FM application parameter and the wheel/rail contact parameters on the adhesion and damage behaviors of wheel and rail materials should be explored. In this study, the influences of application amount of FM, the wheel/rail contact stress and the creepage on the adhesion and damage behaviors were studied using a twin-disc machine. Results indicated that the increase in contact stress would reduce the wheel/rail minimum adhesion coefficient and effective holding time of FM. The increase in the creepage would increase the adhesion coefficient and reduce the holding time. Under the wheel/rail contact stresses of 800 and 1100 MPa, the application of FM could reduce wheel/rail wear and damage. But under 1500 MPa, FM could cause serious rail surface damages. Moreover, the surface crack propagation process of rail mainly included three stages: initial stage, transition stage and rapid propagation stage. The "oil wedge effect" was the main mechanism for aggravating the surface damages of rail under 1500 MPa. • Wheel/rail adhesion coefficient is reduced with the increase in FM application amount and contact stress, and the decrease in creep rate. • The minimum adhesion coefficient has a negative relationship with the holding time. • Under 800 and 1100 MPa, the application of FM could alleviate the wheel and rail wear and damages. • Under 1500 MPa, FM will cause serious surface damages to the rail with initial cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of contact stress and slip ratio on wear and rolling contact fatigue of ER9 wheel steel and R260 rail steel couple under unlubricated conditions using a dual disk test. It was demonstrated that as either contact stress or slip ratio increased, so did the wear rate and surface damage of both ER9 wheels and R260 rail rollers. The wear rate of the ER9 wheel steel containing proeutectoid ferrite and the smaller structure size of pearlite increased significantly when compared to the rail steel containing fully pearlite in each pair. After testing according to the conditions used in this work, the surface hardness of the pearlitic rail steel was higher than that of the ferrite-pearlite wheel steel. The average hardening ratio of ER9 wheel steel and R260 rail steel was 0.7 and 1.28, respectively. This was consistent with the subsurface deformation angle. With full pearlite in the microstructure of rail steel, the main wear mechanism was predominantly caused by fatigue cracking and peeling, with some adhesive wear. Whereas the most prominent mechanism of the ferrite-pearlite wheel steel was adhesive wear, which was followed by spalling and small fatigue cracks. • Wear behavior of the ER9 wheel and R260 rail couple under different conditions. • Hardening ratio of the ER9 wheel steel is lower than that of R260 rail steel. • Voids occur at proeutectoid ferrite/ferrite and broken cementite interfaces. • Relationship of wear rate, surface crack angle, and deformation angle. • Surface damage caused by microstructure in the ER9 wheels and R260 rail steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model was applied to predict damage initiation in twin-disc tests of premium rail steels. • Wear- and RCF-dominated damages are distinguished by the depth of the ratcheting mechanism-based damage initiation locations. • A higher creepage results in a shallower damage initiation location and a shorter damage initiation life. • The initial wear rate increases with a higher creepage for wear-dominated damage. • HE2 rail steel presents the longest damage initiation life and the lowest initial wear rate compared to HE1 and LAHT. This work presents a ratcheting mechanism-based numerical model to study the initiation location and initiation life of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) or wear damage and the initial wear rate of premium rail steels under the laboratory twin-disc test conditions. Twin-disc tests are widely used in the studies of rail steels due to their ability to reproduce critical aspects of full-scale wheel-on-rail contact under controlled conditions and a relatively short test period compared to field tests. This study introduces a computational model to simulate the cyclic rolling contact for three premium rail steels (HE1, HE2, and LAHT) against wheel steel AAR Class-C under twin-disc test conditions. The cyclic rolling contact is achieved by repeatedly moving a non-Hertzian distribution of contact pressure and the calculated longitudinal surface traction upon a segment of the circumferential surface of the lower disc until a stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate is reached. The RCF or wear damage initiation location is determined by the location showing the stabilized maximum ratcheting strain rate, and the damage initiation life is estimated by applying the ratcheting failure mechanism. Wear and RCF damages are distinguished by the depth of the damage initiation location. Wear damage is dominant when the location is near the surface. Otherwise, the damage will be RCF-dominated. The initial wear rate due to wear-dominated damage is estimated by identifying a critical profile and affected volume of worn material within the ratcheting strain rate field. The predicted initial wear rate is compared with the experimental result of the examined contact pair. This research can assist in a more profound understanding of the experiment results of a twin-disc test and provide a numerical basis for an experimental twin-disc test design. Furthermore, it may provide significant references for choosing rail steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the wear and damage behaviours of U71Mn rail material with a friction pair of ER8 wheel material under different temperature conditions, which were explored using a rolling-sliding wear testing device. It turns out that, compared to those at 20 °C room temperature, the adhesion coefficient, wear rate and hardness all increase at low temperatures. Meanwhile, three types of damage mechanisms are proposed according to wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) behaviours under different temperature conditions: (a) room temperature (RT) damage mechanism, (b) ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) damage mechanism, (c) below ductile-brittle transition temperature (BDBTT) damage mechanism. With the temperature decreasing from room to low temperature, the wear mechanism transforms from abrasive wear to adhesive wear and surface fatigue. Meanwhile, the rail material gradually becomes brittle and the subsurface damage at low temperature is more serious than that at room temperature. Furthermore, the subsurface damage at −15 °C is the worst. At low temperature, there is a wider size range of wear debris than that at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing wheel/rail hardness matching studies have been carried out using pearlite steels with different hardnesses; no relevant wheel–rail hardness matching research has been carried out for other microstructure types such as bainite and other tempered materials. In this paper, a CL60 wheel (pearlite) was quenched and tempered to obtain wheel materials with a certain hardness gradient, and matching tests between different wheel materials and a quenched U75V rail were carried out to explore the influence of wheel microstructures on wheel–rail damage. The results showed that with increasing tempering temperature, the wheel microstructure changes from tempered troostite to tempered sorbite, with ferrite changing from a needle shape to a multilateral shape; additionally, the cementite particles grow obviously larger, resulting in a gradual decrease in wheel hardness. With the increase in the wheel/rail hardness ratio, the wear rate of the wheel and wheel–rail system first increases and then decreases; the wear rate of tempered sorbite is the highest. Wear surface analyses indicate that typical peeling appears on the wear surfaces of the CL60 wheel as well as the coupled rail. Tempered sorbite shows slight peeling; however, severe peeling and delimitation occur on the wear surface of its coupled rail. Moreover, severe peeling and serious material delamination are present on the wear surface of tempered troostite, and typical peeling appears on its coupled rail surfaces. The fatigue crack initiation and propagation behaviors of wheel and rail materials are closely related to their microstructures. The cracks in pearlite always initiate on the surface and propagate along the ferrite line. Short and shallow fatigue cracks appear on the tempered sorbite with a high wear rate, and the cracks in the tempered troostite easily expand into the centre of the samples, indicating poor rolling contact fatigue (RCF) resistance. Therefore, the pearlite structure shows better comprehensive mechanical properties for wheel service; moreover, more attention should be given to wheel microstructure when conducting research on wheel–rail matching. • The CL60 wheel were heat treated and wheel materials with a certain hardness gradient were obtained. • Matching tests between quenched U75V rail and different wheels were carried out. • Wear and rolling contact fatigue behaviours were proposed and studied. • Ratcheting behaviours and propagating mechanism of RCF cracks were analyzed and revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model which can predict the length of the surface crack and crack depth in rails was developed in a previous study by the authors B. Dirks, R. Enblom, A. Ekberg, M. Berg (2015) [1] . In the present study, verification of this crack prediction model in combination with a wear prediction model was done against wheel measurements. For a period of 15 months, the wheels of three units of a Stockholm commuter train were measured with respect to wear and crack development for verification of the wheel life prediction tool. Vehicle–track dynamics simulations were used to calculate the forces and contact positions for the wear and crack prediction models. It can be concluded that the wear prediction model gives reasonable results, especially considering the large scatter in the wheel profile measurements. Although the wheel life prediction tool could not be verified, since the crack prediction model had to be recalibrated for the current wheel application, the results appear promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel wheel–rail contact model is proposed to be implemented for multi-body dynamics simulation, in order to facilitate accurate online calculation of damage phenomena such as wear and rolling contact fatigue. The normal contact, i.e. contact patch and pressure distribution, is calculated using a fast non-elliptic algorithm called ANALYN. The tangential contact, i.e. tangential stress distribution, stick–slip division and creep force calculation, is treated using an alternative to the FASTSIM algorithm that is based on a strip theory which extends the two-dimensional solution of rolling contact to three-dimensional contacts. The proposed contact model is compared to the Hertz+FASTSIM model and evaluated using the CONTACT code in terms of contact patch and stress distribution as well as creep force curves. The results show that the proposed model can significantly improve the estimation of the contact solution both in terms of creep force estimation and contact details, such as stress distribution, needed for damage predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of slip ratio on the wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of wheel/rail materials using a rolling–sliding wear testing apparatus. The results indicate that two wear types are presented in terms of wear rate: type I (mild wear) and type II (severe wear). In type I wear, cracks propagate parallel to the surface. While in type II, the peeling is aggravated and spalling can be observed. With the slip ratio increasing, the wear mechanism of rollers transforms from slight oxidation wear and peeling to severe fatigue wear and spalling. Due to the mild wear and light plastic deformation in type I, the angle and depth of cracks show no obvious differences between the wheel and rail rollers. The crack depth and angle increase in type II wear owing to severe plastic deformation, while the depth is smaller on the wheel rollers. The size of flake wear debris presents an increasing trend and the main composition is Fe 2 O 3 and metallic iron, and the content of iron diminishes with increasing oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear are competing phenomena in railway wheels, but they are typically studied as independent events. In this work, preliminary tests are carried out with a twin-disc bench to explore the relationship between RCF and wear. First, the collected tests are reported on the shakedown maps to assess the cyclic response and calculate the fatigue index parameter used to predict the surface-initiated fatigue damage. Second, the fatigue index and material cyclic yield strength are related to the experimental wear rate. This work proposes maps to predict how the wear rate and cyclic response change by varying the contact conditions (clean or contaminated with water or sand), slip ratio and extraction position of specimens. Furthermore, the estimated wear rate is superimposed to the shakedown map to investigate a possible relationship between RCF and wear. The proposed approach allows to understand how a railway wheel steel behaves as a function of the working conditions and whether some working parameters can be changed without compromising the material performance. • Predictive maps for bi-disc tests are proposed. • Wear rate is superimposed to shakedown maps. • A higher fatigue index results in a higher wear rate. • Water contaminant drastically reduces the wear rate. • Reprofile operations increase the fatigue index and wear in clean contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increased demand for railway services, which has resulted in an increase in speeds and axle loads. The increase in axle loads and speeds have resulted in an increase in severity of wheel and rail wear. The aim of this work was to investigate wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) performance of class B wheels against R350HT and R260 rail under different slip ratio using a twin-disc setup. The results showed that severity of wear was heavily dependent on slip ratio. It was found that class B wheels' wear rate was better against R260 rail than against R350HT rail. Three wear regimes were identified from plots of wear rate versus wear index (Tγ/A) being mild, severe and catastrophic. • Wear performance of class B wheel against R260 and R350HT rail steels was investigated across different slip ratios. • Slip ratio influences coefficient of friction, wear rate and depth of plastic deformation on both wheel and rail steels. • Three wear regimes were identified being mild, severe, and catastrophic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the railways in windblown sand areas has been continuously developed in recent years, the effect of dynamic windblown sand environment on the wear and damage of wheel-rail under different slip ratios is still unclear. This work focused on the effect of Gobi and desert dynamic windblown sand environments on the wear and damage behaviors of wheel-rail under different slip ratios using a twin-disc rolling contact fatigue machine. The corresponding experiments in dry condition (without wind and sand) were also performed for comparison. The results indicated that in these three conditions (Gobi, desert and dry), their trends of adhesion coefficient with slip ratio were not exactly the same. The wear rate of wheel and rail in these three conditions could be ranked as: dry > desert > Gobi. As the slip ratio increased, the fatigue wear of wheel and rail gradually aggravated. Furthermore, the oxidative wear of wheel also gradually exacerbated, especially in Gobi dynamic windblown sand environment. Based on the results of experiments and finite element simulations, the interaction mechanism between sand and wheel-rail interface was proposed and the reasons for wear reduction in dynamic windblown sand environments were summarized. • Wear and damage of wheel-rail in different environments were compared. • Wear of wheel-rail was obviously reduced in dynamic windblown sand environments. • Oxidative wear and fatigue wear of wheel aggravated with the slip ratio. • Fatigue wear was the main wear mechanism of rail. • The interaction mechanism between sand and wheel-rail interface was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minimum crack size for growth a min , which is defined as the smallest sized crack that grows fast enough to stay ahead of removal by wear and periodic grinding, was studied by employing Archard׳s wear model and Fletcher and Kapoor׳s “2.5D” fatigue crack growth model. For this purpose, a numerical analysis process was proposed by modeling the real railway operation conditions: typical crack driving forces, including bending, contact, thermal and residual stresses, and crack truncation, including contact wear and periodic grinding. A series of parametric studies was then conducted to predict a min by varying the dominant crack growth contributors, such as the tractive coefficient ( t c =0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4), creepage coefficient ( γ =0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4% and 0.5%) and temperature difference (Δ T =−20, 0 and 20 °C). From the analysis results, we found that the tractive coefficient is the most influencing parameter in the determination of a min , while the creepage coefficient has a large effect on a min under a low tractive coefficient, but the effect is diminished as the tractive coefficient is increased. The sizes of a min vary from 0.106 ( t c =0.4, γ =0.1%) to 5.730 mm ( t c =0.1, γ =0.5%) without the application of a periodic grinding condition, but they are increased by approximately 24% on average with the application of periodic grinding. This means that even though a larger crack can be worn out with the implementation of grinding, once a crack grows over a certain size, the periodic grinding does not stop its growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to explore the effect of tangential force on wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) behaviors of wheel material using a JD-1 wheel/rail simulation facility. The normal, tangential and lateral forces between the wheel/rail rollers are controlled, and the magnetic power brake was used to generate the tangential forces (16–330 N). The results indicate that the surface hardness and wear loss of wheel rollers increase with the tangential force increasing. The surface cracks mouths are perpendicular to the resultant directions of the frictional forces. There are visible secondary cracks and multilayer cracks and the interlayer material of multilayer cracks are easy to break. The compositions of wear debris consist of Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 and iron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic experimental investigations were conducted to study the damage behavior of rail steels with eutectoid and hypereutectoid microstructure under different axle load and curve radius conditions. The wear resistance and resulting failure mechanism, as well as subsurface crack development were evaluated by wheel/rail rolling contact test rig, which can realize a broad range of working conditions from mild condition to harsh condition. Results demonstrate that the wear resistance and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage depend on not only the working conditions employed, but also the microstructures. With the increase of axle load and reduction of curve radius, the wear rate increases for both rail steels. Damage mechanisms for the two rail materials are mainly surface fatigue cracks and delamination, which become much serious from the mild condition to harsh condition. The hypereutectoid rail possesses a better wear resistance than eutectoid rail in general. Wear regime map suggests that the hypereutectoid rail did not have a catastrophic wear region, but can be observed in eutectoid rail. The subsurface analysis shows that the working condition has a significant impact on surface crack development depending on specific microstructure types. The hypereutectoid rail is more suitable for harsh working conditions than eutectoid rail. • Wear and damage of two rail materials were investigated under harsh conditions. • High axle load and small curve radius play great effects on damage of rail materials. • Rail steel microstructure affects the fatigue cracks development. • Hypereutectoid rail did not have catastrophic wear region as observed in eutectoid rail. • Hypereutectoid rail is more suitable for harsh conditions than eutectoid rail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma selective quenching is a technology which can significantly improve the wear resistance of rail material. However, there are few studies on damage characteristics of rail materials with plasma selective quenching (PSQ). In this study, the influence of PSQ on wheel-rail wear and damage characteristics was studied. The research results show that PSQ has a great influence on damage characteristics of rail materials; PSQ can significantly reduce rail wear; The damage characters of quenched specimens could be divided into three stages: quenched zone wear, quenched zone wear and spall pits, substrate wear. •The influence of the plasma selective quenching on wheel-rail wear and RCF damage was studied. •An electron microscope was used to observe the damage of the wheel/rail surface. •Plasma selective quenching has a great influence on RCF damage of wheel and rail. •An excessive proportion of the quenched area of rail leads to increased wheel wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ni-Cr-Fe (N), 17-4PH (MP) and 18Ni300 (MS) coating are deposited on rail by LIHC. • The microstructure and hardness of N coating show little change in different layer. • The grain size and precipitates' content of MP and MS coating vary in different layer. • Wear rate, PD depth and surface damage of rail with MP and MS coating are all reduced. • LIHC deposited MS coating shows the best competitiveness in the rail repairing. In this paper, Ni-Cr-Fe, 17-4PH and 18Ni300 alloy coating were deposited on the rail surface by laser-induction hybrid cladding (LIHC), respectively. The microstructure, microhardness of different coatings, and their influences on the wear properties and contact fatigue behaviors of rails were studied systematically. Results indicate that the as-deposited Ni-Cr-Fe coating is constituted of the dendrite structure, and the as-deposited 17-4PH and 18Ni300 coating mainly consist of the lath martensite structure. The microstructure and microhardness of Ni-Cr-Fe coating are little influenced by the in-situ thermal cycling in LIHC process, whereas the grain size and precipitates' content in 17-4PH and 18Ni300 coating are affected significantly, making the microhardness therein increased along the depth direction. Compared with the untreated rail, the wear rate and plastic deformation (PD) depth of rails with 17-4PH and 18Ni300 coating are both decreased significantly, while the contact surface damage is alleviated simultaneously. Especially for that with 18Ni300 coating, the decreased proportions are as high as 40.2% (mass wear rate), 60.1–81.2% (dimensional wear rate) and 78.7% (plastic deformation depth), respectively. By contrast, the wear rate of rail with Ni-Cr-Fe coating is increased conversely than that of the untreated rail although its microhardness is 32% higher. Therefore, the LIHC deposited 18Ni300 coating is a competitive choice for repairing the rail in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wear and rolling contact fatigue were investigated on unfilled PEEK and on three PEEK short fiber reinforced composites. For this aim, roller-shaped specimens were subjected to rolling contact tests at different contact pressure levels. Wear rate-pv product and contact pressure-life diagrams were obtained, depending on material hardness. Microscopic observations of rolling contact surfaces and sections of the rollers highlighted damages at two different scales, surface and bulk, leading independently to wear and rolling contact fatigue. These damages were also of different typology for unfilled PEEK and composites: micro-pitting and deep transversal cracks occurred on unfilled PEEK rollers, while delamination and spalling phenomena where found on composite rollers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four-ball testers are widely used for determining the rolling contact fatigue life of bearing components. The tester simulates the rolling conditions in the bearing where the upper ball and the cup simulate the inner and outer rings, respectively, and the planetary balls represent the rolling elements in the bearing. However, in many studies the upper ball is utilized as the ball whose rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life is investigated, mainly to speed up the fatigue process. In this paper, a four-ball tester is used to study the effect of ball configuration, i.e. upper ball versus the planetary ball, on the RCF life. It was observed that the 52100-steel upper ball''s L 10 life is 7.4 times shorter than that of 52100-steel lower planetary balls. For M50 tool steel, the L 10 life of the upper ball was 5.9 times shorter than that of the lower planetary ball. The lesser number of stress cycles per revolution of tester''s spindle and the skid of lower balls resulting in rolling on multiple rolling tracks are the contributing factors to the longer RCF life of planetary balls. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In order to know the relationship between the occurrence of flaking leading to the rail breakage and wear of the rail, on-site investigations and analysis of the broken rail were carried out. As a result, it was found out that the occurrence rate of the flaking damage was high at gauge corner side of high rail in moderate curves with radius from 800m to 1800m. It was also found that the rail wear in the section where lubrication was applied was about a half of that in the section without lubrication. Moreover, it was found that flaking damage was generated on the running surface or in the close vicinity of the surface of rail head under the condition of repeated loading of shear and tangential forces caused by the rolling contact with wheels. It could be assumed that the balance between the wear and the accumulation of micro-strain or fatigue was a key to occur the flaking damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Serious problems have been observed in railroad systems as a consequence of uncontrolled wear, which is considered a key factor regarding performance losses and maintenance costs. One alternative to face the demanding requirements of the newest systems is the development of materials with more resistant and durable microstructures. In order to study the behavior of AISI 15B30 (bainitic) and AISI 1070 (pearlitic) steels, a disc-on-disc tribometer was used to test them under properly controlled load and relative slip conditions. The steels were conveniently heat treated to obtain hardness values similar to those of actual wheels and rails in commercial railroad systems, i.e. 320HV for the wheels and 370HV for the rails, and only pairs of discs made of the same material were tested each time. The results indicated that the average wear rates were similar for all the pairs and slip ratios tested. Under pure rolling, both AISI 1070 and AISI 15B30 showed larger deformed subsurface layers and more significant work hardening when compared to rolling–sliding conditions, which was related to the magnitude of stresses beneath surface for each condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Continuing from research reported at CM2006, we report further investigation of the interaction of rail with friction modifiers (FM) related to wear and RCF generation. This work examines the relative effects of FM on standard (R260) and premium (R350HT) rail using a test rig. Under dry conditions, the premium rail shows clearly reduced wear and RCF generation compared to the standard rail. Application of FM reduces wear and RCF propensity for both standard and premium rail, with the best result achieved by a combination of R350HT and FM. Results on plastic flow were similar and consistent with the wear and RCF pattern. Longer term testing with FM application was terminated after four times the normal test cycle length without any RCF formation. Application of FM to pre-existing RCF cracks did not lead to acceleration of crack growth (e.g. by hydropressurization) under the experimental conditions used. Field results were reviewed for both premium rail and FM effects on RCF, and are found to be generally consistent with test rig results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the wear and RCF behaviour of several pearlitic and bainitic rail steels on a full scale test rig at voestalpine Schienen GmbH and also in several track tests. On the test rig a clear dependence between hardness of the pearlitic grades and the resistance against wear and RCF is seen. The same is found in track tests however the results especially in low wear regimes concerning higher hardness grades are not as distinct as on the test rig. Track behaviour also indicated the improved RCF resistance of higher hardness steels. Bainitic steels show a slightly different behaviour – the wear resistance is reduced compared to a pearlitic steel with the same hardness level though the RCF resistance is higher (both on the rig and in track if data available). Although the trends are consistent on the rig and in track, the absolute values concerning wear and RCF differ. Finally an outlook concerning modifications and upgrades for the test rig to shorten this gap is given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A lifetime prediction tool for railway wheels and rails should be able to predict both wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF), which are the two main deterioration phenomena. Several models exist to predict wear or RCF, but not many models exist which can predict both. In this study, two of these RCF prediction models have been extended. The performance of these models has been studied through a parametric study where multi-body simulations (MBS) provided the input to the models. The influences of several parameters which can have an effect on the wheel/rail life have been studied in order to find the behaviour of the different models. These parameters are: curve radius, worn wheel and rail profiles, coefficient of friction, primary stiffness, track irregularities, and cant deficiency. This paper describes the differences between the two models and shows that the adjustments of the models have a significant influence on RCF prediction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Driven by a requirement for increased performance and cost-effectiveness, the basic pearlitic microstructures of rail steels are being progressively refined and novel microstructures are being developed. With such progress, increased attention must be paid to potential ‘weak spots’ in the microstructure such as non-metallic inclusions. For the past few decades, rail steels have become progressively cleaner with regard to harmful brittle inclusions, however the effect of rolling–sliding contact forces on nominally benign, ductile inclusions requires further consideration. This work examines the characteristics of ductile, Mn-based inclusions in used rail and rail test discs. Where the structure near-surface has been subject to a high component of transverse creepage, ductile, axially aligned inclusion ‘stringers’ become strain-flattened to form planes of weakness along which micro-cracks initiate and propagate, thus facilitating wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracking. The progression of shape change of these ductile inclusions approaching the contact surface has been examined by optical and electron microscopy including focussed ion beam (FIB) analysis. As-manufactured ductile inclusions shapes and distributions have also been surveyed with respect to the (geographical) source of the rail steel. Comparative data for these different steel sources are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage of wheel and rail materials under alternating temperature conditions. Two series of rolling-sliding tests were performed: (1) at 20 °C for 75,000 cycles, and then continued at −40 °C for 10,000, 30,000, and 75,000 cycles, respectively; (2) at −40 °C for 75,000 cycles, and then continued at 20 °C for 10,000, 30,000, and 75,000 cycles, respectively. The results indicated that the decrease in the temperature would alleviate the wheel wear due to the formation of wear debris layer. Both the rising and dropping of the environmental temperature during the tests could lead to the increase in the rail wear. Besides, the decrease in the temperature could increase the plastic deformation and work hardening of wheel and rail discs. In addition, the crack initiation was correlated with the behaviour of plastic flow on the wheel. At 20 °C, long single cracks initiated and propagated along the highly deformed ferrite boundaries. At −40 °C, white-etching layer (WEL) was observed only on the wheel surface, which was mainly attributed to the severe plastic deformation. Then, the refined ferrites and WELs were the main crack initiation sources on the wheel. • Wear and RCF of wheel and rail were studied under alternating temperatures. • The adhesion wear of wheel and rail was strengthened at low temperature. • The decrease in temperature would alleviate the wear of wheel material. • Low temperature accelerated the plastic deformation of wheel and rail rollers. • The WEL was observed on wheel at −40 °C, but not observed at 20 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Their high hardness and good thermal and chemical stability together with low friction and high sliding wear resistance make diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings one of the best candidates for improving the tribological properties and durability of machine components. However, when applied on soft materials like low alloy steels, very thin and brittle DLC coatings have very little to offer. On the other hand, surface engineering combining thermo-chemical treatment of the steel substrate and deposition of a hard wear resistant coating has been found to greatly improve the sliding wear properties of contact surfaces. However, in the majority of machine element applications appropriate rolling and sliding properties are required simultaneously. The aim of the present work was to determine the load-carrying capacity and durability of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coated low alloy steel under rolling conditions. Samples made of AISI 4140 steel were first plasma nitrided and then coated with a hydrogen-free hard carbon coating. Results of the rolling tests, performed under various conditions, show that by proper treatment of the substrate material not only the sliding but also the rolling properties of ta-C coated low alloy steel can be greatly improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A multi-step FE modeling strategy has been proposed to predict the temperature evolution, thermo-mechanical response, surface fatigue life and wear behaviors in railway rail for multi wheel passages. Equivalent contact pressure and heat source were coupled and moved simultaneously on rail surface to achieve a balanced advantage of low computational cost and high accuracy. Wheel configuration at locomotive plays a significant role on rail temperature. The highest temperature of 776.05 °C was developed with a slip ratio of 9.43% after 9 wheel passages. Rolling contact fatigue life of rail material decreased quickly with slip ratio due to significant thermal softening effect. Transition from mild to severe wear was found at slip ratio of 2.38% according to the corresponding rail flash temperatures. • A modelfor multi wheel passages of train locomotives considering both contact pressure and thermal effects was proposed. • Practical scenario of two locomotives was introduced to study the temperature evolution on rail surface. • Relation between slip ratio and rolling contact fatigue life of rail material was predicted. • Wear of rail was mild when slip ratio was ≤2.38% but transited into severe wear when slip ratio was higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between surface microstructure and wear mechanism in D2/U71Mn wheel-rail material under different contact stress conditions, rolling wear tests using a GPM-40 wear machine to simulate the wheel-rail operation was performed. After wear tests, an optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and micro-hardness testers were used to characterize the microstructure and fatigue wear cracks. The results show that the thickness of the plastic deformation layer and surface hardness is increased with the increase of contact stress. Under high contact stress condition (1200 MPa), the severe plastic deformation layer led to the formation of fatigue wear of wheel-rail samples. Under a contact stress of 700 MPa, the wear mechanism of samples is adhesive wear and wear rate is low. With the increase of contact stress, the fatigue cracks are gradually severe. Under a contact stress of 1200 MPa, the wear mechanism of samples becomes fatigue wear and the fatigue wear cracks cause the increase of wear rate. The fatigue wear can accelerate the wear failure of wheel-rail samples. The fatigue wear cracks of wheel samples are severer than that of rail samples due to both the rate of plastic strain and the content of proeutectoid ferrite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]