Erosive Wear Characteristics of Carburized Mild Steel in Soil–Water Slurry

Abstract

Erosive wear characteristics in plain soil-water slurry of carburized mild steel samples were experimentally studied in an in-house designed and fabricated apparatus. The studied carburization technique greatly improved the hardness and wear resistance in the carburized steel. Both the hardness and wear resistance values of carburized products increased significantly with carburization temperature and time up to the range studied (900–9500C, 2–3 h). The effectiveness of solid carburizers in improving these properties of steel decreased in the order: partially burnt char, char and coal. Majority of the carburized steel samples exhibited an improvement in their wear resistance with increase of rotation time in the slurry, and both the severe and mild wear were found to be operative. This study is expected to provide important information to the agro-industries on changes in hardness and wear properties of farm implements.