Effect of Cold Rolling Deformation on Microstructure and Properties of Mn13 Wear-resistant Steel

    
    Introduction
    Cold rolling deformation is a type of plastic deformation that can help to enhance the mechanical properties of materials. In recent years, cold rolling deformation has been applied to different types of materials, including structural steels and advanced alloys. This deformation technique is often used to refine the grain structure and induce a specific form of hardening to the material, which in turn can help to provide improved tensile strength, ductility, and wear resistance. Mn13 wear-resistant steel is a type of high-manganese steel that is commonly used in industrial applications requiring high strength and wear resistance. In this article, the effect of cold rolling deformation on the microstructure and properties of Mn13 wear-resistant steel will be investigated.
    
    Mn13 Wear-Resistant Steel
    Mn13 is a type of high-manganese steel that has been specially developed for use in industrial applications where resistance to wear is of utmost importance. It typically contains 11-14 wt.% manganese and 0.5-1.5 wt.% carbon along with lesser amounts of several other elements. The steel's primary microstructure is a combination of martensite and pearlite.
    
    The martensite is primarily responsible for the high strength and wear resistance qualities of the steel while the presence of pearlite increases the ductility and toughness of the material. As such, Mn13 wear-resistant steels are suitable for components that are subjected to heavy wear and cyclic loading.
    
    Cold Rolling Deformation
    Cold rolling is a plastic deformation process that involves the reduction of the thickness of a material using a pair of rigid rolls. The resulting workpiece has its grains size and shape modified, which can affect the material's mechanical properties.
    
    One of the primary benefits of cold rolling deformation is that it can help to refine the grain microstructure of a material and induce a form of hardening known as strain hardening. This provides an increase in the material's tensile strength, ductility, and wear resistance. It also results in an improvement in the material's surface finish since the surface is compressed by the relatively low force that is required for cold rolling.
    
    Effect of Cold Rolling Deformation on Microstructure and Properties of Mn13 Wear-Resistant Steel
    A study was conducted to investigate the effect of cold rolling deformation on the microstructure and properties of Mn13 wear-resistant steel. In the study, Mn13 wear-resistant steel samples were subjected to different levels of cold rolling deformation, namely partial cold rolling (PCR = 25%), partial cold rolling + tempering (PCT = 25% + 150 ℃/2h), and full cold rolling (FCR = 50%).
    
    Figure 1 shows the optical micrographs of the samples before and after cold rolling deformation. It can be seen that the grains of the samples are refined and have a more uniform appearance after deformation. This is the result of the strain hardening that occurs during cold rolling deformation, which results in an increase in the material's tensile strength.
    
    Table 1 presents the tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of the samples before and after cold rolling deformation. It can be seen that there is an increase in the tensile strength and yield strength of the samples after PCR, PCT, and FCR treatment. The increase is approximately 33%, 39%, and 41%, respectively. The increase in the yield strength of the samples after cold rolling is attributed to the strain hardening of the material, which increases the material's resistance to deformation.
    
    The increase in the tensile strength and yield strength is accompanied by a decrease in the elongation of the samples. This is due to the fact that cold rolling deformation leads to an increase in the hardness of the material, which in turn lowers its ductility.
    
    Conclusion
    In conclusion, it can be seen that cold rolling deformation has a significant effect on the microstructure and properties of Mn13 wear-resistant steel. The deformation leads to a refining of the grain structure of the material and induces strain hardening, leading to an increase in the tensile strength, yield strength, and wear resistance of the material. However, this is accompanied by a decrease in the material's ductility due to increase in hardness.

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