Austenite grain growth behavior of locomotive wheel steel

Metallographic microscopy and intercept method were adopted to investigate the austenitic grain growth behavior of locomotive wheel steel at different heating temperatures and holding time. On the basis of analyzing the effects of heating temperature and holding time on the austenite grain size, a simple kinetic model was used to analyze the austenite grain growth process, and the influence of the evolution of second phase particles on the austenite grain growth was also discussed. It is found that the austenite grain size increases with the rise of heating temperature and the prolonging of holding time, but the influence of heating temperature is more obvious. The kinetic time exponent of austenitic grain growth increases with temperature rise and the value is close to the theoretical value of 1/2. Austenite grain growth and the volume fraction and size variation of second phase particles AlN in the steel have a significant correlation.