Abstract
Sliding wear mechanism of a high nitrogen austenitic 18Cr-18Mn-2Mo-0.9N steel has been investigated. Dry sliding wear tests of the steel were carried out at various loads of 1N-10N under a constant sliding speed condition of 0.15m/s against AISI 52100 bearing steel balls. Solution $(1050^{\circ}C)$ and isothermal aging $(900^{\circ}C)$ heat treatments were performed on the steel and the effect of the heat treatments on the wear were investigated. Wear rates of the solution-treated steel specimen remained low until 5N, and then increased abruptly at loads above 5N. The rates of isothermally aged specimens were low and increased gradually with the applied load. Worn surfaces, their cross sections, and wear debris of the steel specimens were examined with a scanning electron microscopy. Phases of the heat-treated specimen and the wear debris were identified using XRD. Phases transformed underneath the sliding track during the wear were investigated and analyzed using TEM. Effects of the phase transformation during the wear and $Cr_2N$ precipitates formed during the isothermal aging on the wear of the austenitic steel were discussed.
