Experimental Study on Hardness and Wear Characteristics of Welded Rails

레일 용접부의 경도와 마멸특성에 관한 실험적 연구

In this paper, thermite and gas pressure weldings have been used to join rails in-track and analyzed as functions of hardness and wear characteristics. The wear rate of thermite welded rail is low compared with that of gas pressure welded rail, which is tested in a pin-on-disk wear tester. The hardness of thermite welded materials is relatively high and narrow distributed between three zones, welded part, thermally affected zone, and a base matrix. Wear of a welded rail may be a major factor in railroad maintenance costs and failures at the rail-rail butt joint.