The main material of train tracks is steel.
1、 Ordinary carbon steel track
1. Composition and Characteristics
-Early train tracks often used ordinary carbon steel. This type of steel contains iron (Fe) as well as small amounts of carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn) and other elements. The carbon content is generally between 0.05% and 0.5%. For example, Q235 steel was widely used in the manufacturing of railway tracks. It has a certain strength and toughness, and can withstand the weight of trains and the pressure generated during operation.
-However, the wear resistance of ordinary carbon steel tracks is relatively poor, and they are susceptible to wheel wear during long-term use, resulting in a limited service life.
2. Application situation
-In the early stages of railway construction or on branch railways where track requirements are not particularly high, ordinary carbon steel tracks still have certain applications.
2、 High manganese steel track
1. Composition and Characteristics
-High manganese steel is an alloy steel with a high manganese content (usually around 10% -14%). In addition to manganese, it also contains elements such as iron and carbon. High manganese steel has good toughness and wear resistance.
-When high manganese steel tracks are subjected to tremendous pressure from train wheels, their surface undergoes hardening, forming a high hardness wear-resistant layer while maintaining good toughness internally. This characteristic enables high manganese steel tracks to withstand high-strength wear and greatly extends their service life.
2. Application situation
-High manganese steel tracks have been widely used on lines with high requirements for track wear resistance, such as heavy-duty railways and busy mainline railways.
3、 Alloy steel track
1. Composition and Characteristics
-Alloy steel tracks are made by adding various alloying elements to steel, such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), etc. The addition of these alloying elements can further improve the strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, and other properties of the orbit.
-For example, adding chromium element can improve the oxidation resistance and corrosion resistance of the orbit; Nickel element helps to improve the toughness and low-temperature performance of the orbit; Molybdenum can enhance the strength and hardness of orbitals.
2. Application situation
-In some special environments such as seaside railways (which require resistance to seawater corrosion) and high-altitude railways (which require adaptation to low temperature environments), alloy steel tracks are preferred.
