Destruction of Steel Hardened by High-Speed Electrothermal Treatment during Sliding Friction on a Non-Rigidly Fixed Abrasive

— The results of studying the patterns of destruction and their influence on the wear resistance of 65G steel, hardened by high-speed electrothermal treatment (HSETT) during wear by sliding friction on a non-rigidly fixed abrasive are presented. It has been established that in the strength base of the wear mechanism of steel hardened by HSETT in conditions under consideration, the leading role is played by the resistance to the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks at the boundary of the region of nonlinear effects in the vicinity of the crack tip, and the mechanical component of the contact interaction is determining. This indicates a high sensitivity of the wear resistance of steel ε to its rheological-fatigue parameter R f . Therefore, it is advisable to rank low-alloy steels in terms of wear resistance using the rheological-fatigue parameter. It is shown that in the process of wear, residual tensile stresses of a plastic-destructive nature are formed on the working surface. Among the studied modes of thermal treatment, the lowest rate of crack propagation in steel was observed after HSETT, which ensured its wear resistance with steel hardened by surface hardening without tempering. It is proven that rheological-fatigue parameter R f is more adequate than hardness HV and rheological parameter R reflects the specifics of the contact interaction during sliding friction of steel on a non-rigidly fixed abrasive, which manifests itself in the simultaneous implementation of two cyclic processes in the contact zone, penetration and scratching abrasive. It has been stated that the hardening of 65G steel, used for the manufacturing of working tools of tillage machines in agriculture, by HSETT can serve as an effective means of increasing their wear resistance during sliding friction on a non-rigidly fixed abrasive.