THE EFFECT OF THERMO-MECHANICAL LOADING ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE EVOLUTION IN NEAR-PEARLITIC STEEL

Paper in proceeding, 2025

Block braking generates elevated temperatures accompanied with mechanical loading in railway wheels. This paper aims to characterise the mechanical behaviour and microstructure of near-pearlitic railway wheel web material and compare it to previous rim material results. Thermo-mechanical loadings with peak temperatures of 300°C and 650°C were applied corresponding to the simulated worst-case scenario for the wheel web and rim materials respectively. Thermal dilatation was restricted to various levels ranging from free expansion to full restriction. While effects are limited at peak temperature 300°C, overheating of the wheel steel to 650°C has large effects on stress response and tensile residual stress.