1. School of Materials and Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning, China 2. Technical Center of Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation, Anshan 114009, Liaoning, China 3. Product Manufacturing Department of Ansteel Company Co., Ltd., Anshan 114021, Liaoning, China
Abstract：The retained austenite in the carbide-free bainitic microstructures makes an outstanding contribution to improve the toughness and plasticity of the bainitic rail steels. In order to keeping a higher toughness and plasticity of the rail steels on operating conditions, it is necessary to control the stability of retained austenite in bainitic rail steels.Under different circumstance temperatures, the stability of retained austenite in bainitic rail steels after hot rolled and air-cooled, hot rolled and air-cooled + low-temperature tempering processes were analyzed, tensile properties at different test temperatures, including at low temperatures, and fatigue properties under the simulating rail’s operating test conditions were also analyzed, combining with the determination of the volume of residual austenite on corresponding conditions, the test results indicates that the low-temperature tempering processes enhances the stability of retained austenite in bainitic rail steels. Under the simulating rail’s operating test conditions, the residual austenite in the bainitic rail steels is basically stable.
2011, Vol. 46 
