Study on Wear Resistance Performance along the Thickness Direction of In Situ TiC-Reinforced High-Strength Steel

The hardness of high-strength steel gradually decreases from the subsurface layer to the layer that is half its thickness. This hardness distribution reduces the wear resistance of steel plates. To date, there have been few reported solutions to this problem. Herein, an in situ approach is used to prepare TiC-reinforced steel. The findings demonstrate that the introduction of TiC reinforcement enhances the wear resistance performance along the thickness direction of high-strength steel. Although the hardness of TiC-reinforced steel gradually decreases from the surface to the core, the wear resistance of the steel initially increases before decreasing. In addition, compared with normal steel, the wear resistance performance of TiC-reinforced steel is increased by 15% at the subsurface, 24% at 1/4 thickness, and 31% at 1/2 thickness. This unusual phenomenon is attributed to the size features of TiC, which vary along the thickness of the plate. The proportion of small TiC particles decreases from the subsurface layer to the core, whereas the proportion of large TiC particles increases gradually. This technique can provide an avenue for improving the wear resistance of other large-thickness wear-resistant materials along the thickness direction.