Effect of Silicon Content on the Wear Behavior of Low-Carbon Dual-Phase Steels

The aim of this study is to understand the influence of the silicon content and volume fraction of martensite obtained by intercritical annealing at three temperatures (750, 780, and 800 °C) on the wear behavior of low-carbon dual-phase steels. Dry sliding wear tests were carried out in three sliding intervals (0–200, 200–600, and 600–1000 m) by using a pin-on-disk machine at normal load of 30 N, room temperature, and fixed sliding velocity of 0.5 m/s. The weight loss of the specimens was measured and the wear rate calculated. For all the samples, the wear rate decreased with increasing sliding distance. The results of the present investigation clearly show that the effect of the intercritical annealing temperature is greater than that of the silicon content. Among the three tested temperatures, the wear resistance was more sensitive to the silicon content at the lowest (750 °C). Both the content and hardness of the martensite were factors affecting the wear resistance of the dual-phase steels. The wear response of the samples can be described on the basis of the interaction between the martensite volume fraction and hardness. The role of the silicon content in the oxidation of steels was also examined.