Abstract: In order to study the influence of matching of high-speed wheel/rail steels on the rolling contact wear properties of frictional pairs of wheel/rail, three high–speed wheel steels which are respectively matched with rail steels and the wear rate of these frictional pairs is measured by using rolling/sliding wear machine. The effects of chemical compositions of wheel steels on their mechanical properties and the rolling contact wear of wheel/rail frictional pairs are investigated. The results show that the strength and wear resistance of a modified wheel steel which increases carbon content based on conventional wheel steel is improved, while the ductility and toughness of which decreases. The strength and wear resistance of another modified wheel steel whose alloy content is appropriately adjusted based on conventional wheel steel is improved more effectively, with almost unchanged ductility and toughness. The wear resistance of wheel steels is not affected by strain hardening under rolling/sliding conditions, while it is dominated by the pre-hardness of wheel steels. The wear rate of rail steel increases linearly with the hardness of the corresponding wheel steel rising.

Key words: Alloy content, Carbon content, Matching of wheel/rail materials, Mechanical properties, Rolling contact wear