Modeling of Abrasive Wear in Alloy Steel used in Metallurgy and Heavy-duty Applications

Abstract

This study focuses on microstructural and micromechanical modeling of abrasive sliding contacts of wear-resistant alloy steel 12Mn-3Ni-2.5Cr-2.1Mo. 3D finite element representation of the microstructure was employed with a crystal plasticity model including dislocation slip, deformation twinning, and their interactions.

The deformation occurring in this type of steel during surface tempering, dislocations caused by friction, and the formed twins and their interactions play an important role in the steel studied. Therefore, a micromechanical simulation of high-stress abrasion was created, simplifying the high-stress contact surface to polycrystalline deformation, and studying the relationship between wear and friction phenomena and deformation in alloy steels. Furthermore, the feasibility of analyzing a complex crystal model including displacement dislocations and deformed twins.

The results showed that deformation twinning interacting with dislocations had a key role in the surface hardening of the material, and it was also important for the early hardening process of the sub-surface grains beyond the heavily distorted surface grains. The effects of grain orientation and microstructural features were discussed and analyzed according to the micromechanical model to givea perspective to the anisotropy of the material and the feasibility of using micromechanics in virtual material design.