Voestalpine Schienen Gmbh

Georg Prskawetz

Alfred Moser

Peter Pointner

A process for the manufacture of a railroad rail of a steel alloy having a pearlitic microstructure. The rail is is shaped at a reduction rate of 1.8 to 8% and aligned straight in its longitudinal direction at a temperature between 770&deg; C. and 1050&deg; C., whereafter it is mounted with the head down and is allowed to cool slowly in still air to a temperature of 5 to 120&deg; C. above the Ar temperature, and upon reaching this temperature at least the rail head is dipped into a cooling liquid and is cooled to the temperature of conversion of an austenitic grain microstructure into a fine pearlitic grain microstructure.

Method for heat-treating profiled rolling stock

A method for the thermal treatment of rails, in particular of the rail head, in which cooling is carried out in a cooling agent that contains a synthetic cooling agent additive starting at temperatures above 720&deg; C. The treatment is carried out by immersion in the cooling agent until withdrawal of the immersed areas occurs, at a surface temperature between 450 and 550&deg; C. results without temperature equalization across the whole of the cross-section, thereby avoiding hardening of the rail web whilst maintaining an optimal cooling rate for the rail head.

Procedure for the thermal treatment of rails

A railroad rail of a steel alloy having a pearlitic microstructure, which rail has a good long-term serviceability, high ductility and high abrasion resistance of the working surface at the rail head, the rail being formed of a steel alloy having a chemical composition in weight % of 0.4 to 1.0 carbon, 0.1 to 1.2 silicon, 0.5 to 3.5 manganese, up to 1.5 chromium, optionally other alloy elements below 1 weight %, the rest being iron and impurities, and at least the rail head having a portion of fine pearlitic microstructure and a hardness between 340 HB and 425 HB down to a sufficient depth from the top surface, the arrangement and the extension of the portion of fine pearlitic microstructure in the rail cross section being even along the entire length of the rail.

Heat-treated profiled rolling stock

A method for the thermal treatment of rails, in particular of the rail head, in which cooling is carried out in a cooling agent that contains a synthetic cooling agent additive, starting at temperatures above 720&deg; C. The treatment is carried out by immersion in the cooling agent until withdrawl of the immersed areas, courses, at a surface temperature between 450 and 550&deg; C. results without temperature equalization across the whole of the cross-section, section, there by avoiding hardening of the rail web whilst maintaining an optimal cooling rate for the rail head.

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Leoben, Austria

Georg Prskawetz