Research on wear-resistant materials is currently facing an era of fierce competition, but also has a bright and broad prospect. Because there is industry, there is wear, and the more developed the industry, the more wear-resistant materials are needed. It is believed that through hard work, wear-resistant materials and wear technology will surely make new progress. With the continuous development of industrialization, China’s metal wear-resistant materials have gone through three stages: The first generation of wear-resistant materials – high manganese steel. Advantages: excellent toughness, work hardening under strong impact conditions; Disadvantages: prone to plastic deformation, not wear-resistant. The second generation of wear-resistant materials – nickel hard cast iron. Advantages: high hardness, good wear resistance; Disadvantages: high carbide content, high brittleness, large amount of rare metal nickel added, high production cost, small application range. The third generation of wear-resistant materials – high chromium cast iron and various alloy steels. High toughness, low cost and good wear resistance have led to the rapid development of various alloy steels. Let’s analyze the role of various chemical components in wear-resistant materials:

     Manganese: It is an austenite-forming element, and it also plays a role in the formation of carbides. Excessive manganese will cause austenite to appear in the organization. Austenite is not suitable for grinding balls because austenite grinding balls will cause a large amount of breakage and shedding in both dry and wet grinding. However, because manganese is used for deoxidation and desulfurization, the manganese content in wear-resistant balls cannot be too high.

      Carbon: The wear resistance of high manganese steel castings is not that the higher the carbon content, the more wear-resistant it is, but there is a limit value. When the carbon content >1.4%, many carbides are precipitated in the as-cast state. During water quenching treatment, the carbides cannot be completely dissolved into the austenite, and the interstitial solid solution carbides have also reached saturation. This is not only not good for wear resistance, but also reduces the strength and toughness of the material, and is prone to fracture during service.

      Silicon: High silicon content reduces the solubility of carbon in austenite, and carbides precipitate more and become larger at the grain boundaries. After water quenching treatment, larger microscopic looseness is left at the grain boundaries. However, in order to completely eliminate it, the silicon content in steel is controlled at 0.4-0.6%, which is the best. Silicon content >0.8% has no significant effect on the various properties of high manganese steel.

      Manganese: Due to the high manganese content in high manganese steel, the as-cast structure of the steel is austenite and carbides. After water quenching treatment (usually called water quenching treatment) at about 1000 degrees Celsius, most of the carbides are dissolved in the austenite, and the structure of the steel is single-phase austenite or austenite plus a small amount of carbides.

      Sulfur: Due to the high manganese content in the steel, a large amount of MnS can be generated and discharged from the slag. Because it is smelted in alkaline slag, sulfur can be successfully reduced to below 0.03%. Such a low sulfur content has no significant effect on the strength, toughness and wear resistance of the steel.

      Phosphorus: Phosphorus dissolves very little in steel alone and often exists in the form of Fe2P and Fe3P at the grain boundaries, which greatly reduces the strength, toughness and wear resistance of the steel. High carbon content exacerbates the precipitation of P in the form of eutectic at the grain boundaries. To ensure performance, the following relationship should be followed: C%=11.27-2.761×P%. In production, the phosphorus content should be controlled ≤0.08%; important, complex, thick-walled parts ≤0.07%.

      Chromium: Chromium is a carbide-forming element. In addition to combining with carbon to form carbides, the rest is dissolved in the matrix, thereby increasing the electrode potential of the matrix, which is beneficial to resisting corrosion. If the content is small, M3C carbides may appear, reducing both hardness and toughness. If the content is large, the number of carbides will increase significantly during crystallization, resulting in a significant decrease in toughness. At the same time, due to the decrease in carbon content in the matrix, the hardness of the matrix is reduced, resulting in a decrease in wear resistance. However, some manufacturers have now solved this problem by using special production and processing technologies, so that the chromium content can reach up to 30%.

      Vanadium (Titanium): These two elements are naturally introduced into pig iron, and are trace alloying elements. They can form carbides and nitrides with very high hardness, which are dispersed in the matrix, which is beneficial to improving the microhardness and wear resistance of the matrix, and is also beneficial to grain refinement.

      Nickel (Copper): Nickel (Copper) is an austenite-forming element, and adding more will cause austenite to appear in the organization. Adding nickel to bainite grinding balls mainly improves the electrode potential of the matrix and improves corrosion resistance, but adding more is uneconomical, and a small amount is effective.

      Molybdenum: The main function of molybdenum is to refine the matrix, refine carbides, improve the electrode potential of the matrix, and improve corrosion resistance. Because of its high price, it is not economical to add. Under metal mold casting conditions, adding a small amount can have a significant effect, suitable for wear-resistant steel balls with special requirements.

      How to match so many chemical elements to achieve the best wear resistance? This is the primary principle of optimizing the selection of wear-resistant materials. According to the different service conditions of different wear-resistant materials, reasonable choices should be made. First of all, it is necessary to correctly analyze the service conditions and wear mechanisms of the workpiece, understand the performance indicators of various wear-resistant materials, and make them perform at their best under the best conditions. This is directly significant for reducing wear, reducing energy consumption, saving energy, extending service life, etc. Liuzhou Shuangkai Industrial Co., Ltd. has been specializing in wear-resistant materials for more than 10 years and has achieved good results in the combination of metal elements and non-metals. Its independently developed fused porcelain lining plates and porcelain powder alloy lining plates are national patented products, which can far exceed the effect of ordinary wear-resistant materials in material conveying systems such as steel, cement, docks, and mines, providing customers with the lowest possible production cost and the highest service life to reduce comprehensive costs, thereby improving economic and social benefits.