Nanoscale characterisation of rolling contact wear surface of pearlitic steel

Nanoscale characterisation of a rolling-sliding wear surface layer of pearlitic steel was performed with transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography to reveal microstructural changes in the pearlite structure. Plastically deformed fine pearlitic lamellae with interlamellar spacing of similar to 10 nm were observed just beneath the contact surface after the rolling-sliding wear test, where the hardness of the surface reached >800 HV, twice the initial bulk hardness of 400 HV. Lamellar cementite was slightly decomposed, but most lamellar cementite was retained as thinned lamellae in the deformed pearlitic structure. The large increment in hardness was mostly explained by the reduction in interlamellar spacing. The formation mechanism of the microstructure of the worn surface was compared with that of the white etching layer on the pearlitic rail surface.