The rolling/sliding wear performance of several carbide-free high silicon bainitic steels
was investigated in the context of rail applications,
along with detailed microstructural characterization. The results indicate that harder
materials exhibited lower wear rates and the presences
of inclusions and allotriomorphic ferrite in the microstructures were detrimental to the
wear performance. The wear resistance of some of
the experimental materials was comparable to that of the pearlitic stee
l
