Development of rails of a new category for use in particularly harsh operating conditions

Introduction. In the conditions of an annual increase in load stress on the roads of the Eastern Polygon, an effective technical solution to the problem of an increased number of rolling stock derailments due to rail breakage is the creation of rails for cold climate conditions with increased hardness to increase wear resistance and contact endurance with simultaneously high values of impact strength. Such a set of properties can be achieved by using separate heating for quenching and cooling with a quenching medium with a high cooling capacity. Rails manufactured using this technology will belong to a new category. In this regard, the purpose of this work was to create a new category of rails for their use in particularly harsh operating conditions.Materials and methods. In this paper the effect of separate induction heating before differentiated quenching with compressed air of controlled humidity on the microstructure and mechanical properties (hardness, mechanical properties during tensile and impact tests, endurance limit, cyclic crack resistance) of rails of type R65 was investigated.The results of the study. A comparative analysis of the results obtained with similar indicators for rails of the DT350, DT350NN and DT370IK categories according to GOST R 51685-2013 was carried out. Studies of the chemical composition, mechanical properties, hardness on the rolling surface of the rail head and cross-section, as well as the microstructure of the rails of the experimental batch showed compliance with the requirements of GOST R 51685-2013 for rails of categories DT350, DT370IK, DT350NN.Discussion and conclusion. It is shown that as a result of the application of differentiated thermal hardening of the rail using compressed air of controlled humidity as a quenching medium, a new category of DTO350NN rails was obtained, characterized by a favorable combination of strength properties, plasticity characteristics and brittle fracture resistance indicators. Rails of the new category can be recommended for use in particularly severe operating conditions (in curved sections of the track of a small radius at low temperatures), including on the roads of the Eastern Polygon.