Effect of high temperature on hardness and abrasive resistance of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

Abrasive wear is a very common type of wear, and at the same time quite serious. It manifests itself when two surfaces in direct physical contact interact, and one is significantly harder than the other. In the present study, the abrasive wear resistance of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel was evaluated using a dry abrasion test bench. The process of characterization of the wear scars was carried out using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and contact profilometry. In addition, hardness measurements were made to specimens before and after each test. The samples were made of austenitic stainless steel AISI 304. Abrasive silica sand particles (SIO2) were sieved, and the particles retained in mesh 60 (250 to 297 µm) were used. The rated glide speed was 200 RPM and a slip distance of 4,309 m. The tests were performed at three different temperatures: 23 °C, 200 °C, and 400°C, and at 45 N. The loss of mass was monitored every 1,000 m of slippage and with the data obtained the wear rates and wear coefficients were calculated. Gravimetric results showed that the wear rate decreases with increasing temperature, slight increase in hardness was observed on the surface of the specimens as the temperature increases in the tests. Some wear mechanisms were identified at different temperatures such as plastic deformation, indentations, and plowing action mainly. Finally, higher wear rates were observed as the temperature increased, concluding that high temperatures promote an increase in the wear rate.