Study on the Correlation Mechanism Between Wear Failure Behavior and the TRIP Effect of Retained Austenite in Bainitic Steel

Clarification of wear behaviors would be attractive for selecting and designing wear-resistant materials. In this study, the wear behaviors of bainitic and martensitic wear-resistant steels (FB and H400) were investigated under different wear conditions. Comparing the wear resistance of FB with that of H400 specimen, the former was inferior to the latter under three-body abrasive wear, but the opposite was true based on the impact wear results. FB, composed of bainite, martensite, and retained austenite (RA), exhibited lower resistance against abrasive cutting because of its lower hardness and yield strength. The H400, composed of high-hardness martensite, displayed great three-body abrasive resistance, but the wear behavior changed when impact wear was introduced. In addition, the fatigue triggered by the impact of the wear surface played a greater role. The FB with RA had higher plasticity because of the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect, which could delay fatigue crack growth. Therefore, the FB demonstrated better wear resistance under impact wear.