Investigation on the rolling wear and damage properties of laser dispersed quenched rail materials treated with different ratios

Abstract In order to improve the resistance to damage of rail materials, laser dispersed quenching (LDQ) with different quenching ratios was studied. The results indicated that the application of LDQ with a suitable ratio on rail could improve the wear resistance of wheel/rail specimens when corrugation occurred. The LDQ with the ratio of 50% improved the most. Pitting and spalling were the main forms of damage on the worn surface of wheel/rail rollers in a moderate range (0–10%). When the LDQ ratio increased, ploughing appeared, and the corrugation phenomenon was gradually alleviated. In addition, the crack nucleation position moved inside the material after LDQ, which was detrimental to the rolling contact fatigue life.