1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel

Steels represent the most important class of engineering materials as they have the vast diversity
of applications of any of the engineering materials. Generally, carbon is the most important
element greatly affecting the mechanical properties of the steels. Hardness and strength
increases with the increase in the carbon content of steels. More-over, plain carbon steels have
moderate strengths and can resist satisfactorily ordinary temperatures and atmospheres and also
are available in large quantities, in quite large variations of shapes and sizes with a much lower
cost. For enhancing further the important characteristics of the plain carbon steels or to ensure
some specific properties, one or more elements are intentionally added to steel. The added
elements are known as alloying elements and the steel is known as alloy steels. The addition of
alloying elements not only improve the hardenability, improve corrosion and oxidation
resistance, increase resistance to softening on tempering, increase high temperature properties,
but also increase resistance to abrasion. They increase strength of the parts that cannot be
quenched due to physical limitation of parts or the structure in which it is employed [1]. The
following table 1 lists the typical properties of steels at room temperature (25C) showing the
superior properties of alloy steels over plain carbon steels.

Properties Carbon Steels Alloy Steels

3
Density (1000 kg/m ) 7.85 7.85
Elastic Modulus (GPa) 190-210 190-210
Poisson's Ratio 0.27-0.3 0.27-0.3
-6
Thermal Expansion (10 /K) 11-16.6 9.0-15
Thermal Conductivity (W/m-K) 24.3-65.2 26-48.6
Specific Heat (J/kg-K) 450-2081 452-1499
-9
Electrical Resistivity (10 -m) 130-1250 210-1251
Tensile Strength (MPa) 276-1882 758-1882
Yield Strength (MPa) 186-758 366-1793

1
 Percent Elongation (%) 10-32 4-31
Hardness (Brinell 3000kg) 86-388 149-627

Table 1 Typical properties of carbon and alloy steels at room temperature.

The knowledge of materials and their properties is of great significance for a production
engineer. The machine elements should be made of a material that has properties suitable to the
operating conditions. Alloy steels contain different varieties of steels that exceed the composition
limits of Mn, Mo, C, Si, Ni, Va, and B set for carbon steels. They are designated by AISI four-
digit numbers. They respond more quickly to mechanical and heat treatments than carbon steels.
AISI-52100 Alloy Steel is known as a high carbon, chromium containing low alloy steel. The
mechanical properties of steel decide its applicability for a particular condition. Heat treatment
processes are commonly used to enhance the required properties of steel. The present work aims
at experimentally investigating the effect of Conventional Hardening and Normalizing heat
treatment processes on AISI 52100 Alloy Steel[2]. Different tests like microstructure analysis,
Tensile strength test, hardness test, impact test, wear etc. are carried out after heat treatment
process. For instance, AISI-52100 Alloy Steel is a high carbon alloy steel which achieves a high
degree of hardness with compressive strength and abrasion resistance. In such cases, to achieve
the required properties heat treatment methods are commonly used. AISI-52100 Alloy Steel is
used in a variety of mechanical applications like Ball and roller applications, Ship, truck , bus
engines, Construction machinery, Bearing steel bar and wire rod, Bearing steel tube, steering
column bearing steel, Bearing seamless pipes, Aircraft and stationary turbine. The important
properties of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel are high surface hardness to resist wear, good fatigue
strength, tough core to withstand sudden shocks, high impact strength.[2,3,17]

In the annealed condition AISI-52100 Alloy Steel is approximately easy to machine, yet very
high hardness and abrasion resistance can be developed by heat treatment processes which make
the steel particularly fit for applications requiring extreme wear resistance.[17] In addition,
52100 Alloy Steel can be heat treated to high levels of fatigue strength and tensile strength.
Therefore to know more about the changes in microstructure and the mechanical properties due
to different heat treatment of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel, I have chosen it.

2
 1.2 Objective of the present work

In the present investigation, effect of Conventional Hardening and Normalizing on

Microstructure and Mechanical properties of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel is our main area of interest.

1. Heat treatment of 48 samples (12 each samples of tensile, impact, hardness and wear)
which are subjected to two different heat treatment processes i.e. Conventional Hardening
and Normalizing.
2. Determination of tensile strength of the material by tensile testing in all 12 heat treated
samples.
3. Determination of hardness and impact strength of each 12 heat treated samples from each
heat treated types by Rockwell hardness test and Charpy Impact test.
4. Material characterization by Optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and
phase analysis of one of the samples from each heat treated types.
5. Study of sliding wear behaviour on different heat treatment samples.
6. Analysis of their worn out surfaces by SEM.

3
 AISI-52100 Alloy
Steel

Optical Emission Spectroscope

(Chemical composition analysis)

Conventional Normalizing
Hardening Treatment
Treatment

Austenitizing at Austenitizing at Austenitizing at

800C and holding 850C and holding for 900C and holding
for 1 hour 1 hour for 1 hour

Quenching in oil Quenching in oil Quenching in oil

medium for 10-15 medium for 10-15 medium for 10-15
minutes minutes minutes

Aging at 100C Aging at Aging at

for 5 hours 150C for 5 150C for 5
hours hours

Normalizing at Normalizing at Normalizing at

800C and then 800C and then 800C and then
air cooling air cooling air cooling

Microstructure and Mechanical Testing (Tensile, Hardness, Impact, Wear)

Figure 1.1 Flowsheet of Work Plan

4
 2 Literature Review

2.1 STEEL

Steel is the name given to the family of iron-carbon alloys having carbon content up to about 2%,
i.e. up to maximum solid solubility limit of carbon in gamma-iron. All Steels, however, contain
little amounts of carbon and manganese. In alternative words, it is said that steel is nothing but a
crystalline alloy of iron, carbon and several other components that hardens higher than its critical
temperature. Steels represent the most important group of engineering materials as they have the
widest diversity of applications of any of the engineering materials [1,4]. Increasing carbon
content increases hardness and strength and improves hardenability. But carbon also increases
brittleness and reduces weldability because of its tendency to form martensite. This means
carbon content can be both a blessing and a curse when application of commercial steel is taken
into account. Steels are generally classified into two major classes:

Plain carbon steels

Alloy steels

Limitations of plain carbon steel [1]

i. There can't be strengthening beyond one hundred thousand psi without having any
significant loss in toughness as well as ductility.
ii. Large sectional areas can't be formed with a martensite structure throughout, and
therefore don't found to be deep hardenable.
iii. Rapid rate of quenching are necessary for full hardening in medium-carbon results in
distortion of shape and cracking of heat-treated steels.
iv. At low temperatures plain-carbon steels have poor impact resistance.
v. Plain-carbon steels have poor corrosion resistance from point of engineering issues.
vi. Plain-carbon steel has high oxidizing tendency at elevated temperatures.

The most common and practical method of overcoming the deficiencies of plain carbon steel is
to employ alloy steels. Alloy steels are those in which one or more elements are added to steel

5
 for enhancing further the prominent characteristics of the plain carbon steels or to ensure specific
properties. These added elements are known as alloying elements.
General effects of alloying components are:

i. Improve tensile strength without any appreciable reduction in ductility.

ii. Improve toughness of material.
iii. Improve hardenability that allows hardening of larger sections than attainable
with plain carbon steels or allows quenching with less drastic rates.
iv. Reduce the hazard due to distortion and quench cracking.
v. Retain high temperature strength.
vi. Obtain superior corrosion resistance.
vii. Improve wear resistance.
viii. Impart a fine grain structure to the steel.
ix. Improve special properties like abrasion resistance and fatigue resistance.

2.2 Alloy steels

Based on the features of alloying elements, alloy steels can be classified as follows [4, 31]:

Classification on the basis of the amount of alloying element:

a) Low alloy steel in which the total alloying content is less than about 5 percent.
b) Medium alloy steel in which the total alloying content is in the range of 5-10
percent.
c) High alloy steels in which the total alloying content is above 10 percent.

Classification on the basis of composition:

Depending on the alloying elements, alloy steels are classified into nickel steels,
chromium steels, Cr-Ni steel and Cr-Ni-Mo steels. They are classified according to the
presence of various alloying elements.
Classification on the basis of structure:

Various structures such as martensite, austenite or bainite constitute steels. Accordingly,

they are called martensitic steel, austenitic steel, bainitic steel and so on.
Classification on the basis of application:

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 Heat resistant steel, corrosion resistant steel, magnetic steel, tool steel, electrical steel,
etc.

2.3 Bearings

A bearing is a part of a machine that allows one part to rotate or move in contact with another
part with as little friction as possible. Additional functions include the transmission of loads and
enabling the accurate location of components. A bearing may have to sustain severe static as well
as cyclic loads while serving reliably in difficult environments. Steels are well-suited in this
context, and in their many forms, represent the material of choice in the manufacture of
bearings[2].

2.3.1 Types of bearings

Ball bearings use spherical balls enclosed between two concentric rings permit the rings to rotate
relative to each other, whilst supporting a radial load. Roller bearings use cylinders instead of
balls and have a greater load bearing capacity because of the greater contact between the rolling
element and the rings. Cylindrical roller bearings played a seminal role in the development of the
continuous rolling mill, now used in the manufacture of billions of tonnes of wide-strip steel.

Prior to this, the rolling process was by repeatedly passing the steel through a single mill,
involving many steps of handling and heating. The original bearing design had an outer forged
steel ring and a fixed bronze-bearing race holding steel rollers in position. Modern bearings of
this kind would be made entirely of steel although there may be retaining cages which are made
from other materials.

In spherical roller bearings, the rolling elements are barrel-shaped with two parallel raceways
permitting angular contact; the double set permits the bearing to accommodate shaft
misalignment.

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Taper roller bearings take this concept further by making the rings and rollers tapered, to increase
the contact area, permitting large radial and thrust loads. They are for this reason used in some
helicopter transmissions to take advantage of their greater load capacity for a given shape or
weight when compared with ball or cylindrical roller bearings.

In needle roller bearings, the cylinders are long and thin, so that the outer diameter of the bearing
is not much greater than that of the inner ring. This makes for a compact design which can be an
advantage when space is at a premium. A spherical-roller bearing uses barrelled cylinders as the
rolling elements, with two sets of rollers enclosed by the rings. This allows the bearing to
accommodate a misaligned load[2].

2.4 Heat Treatment of Steels

Heat treatment is the method of heating and cooling of metals to attain the desired physical and
mechanical properties through modification of their crystalline structure. The temperature, time
duration, and cooling rate after heat treatment will have their dramatical impact on properties.
The most important and also common reason to heat treat includes increasing strength or
hardness, increasing toughness, improving ductility and maximizing corrosion resistance [1, 31].

2.4.1 Stages of Heat Treatment

Heat treating is accomplished in three major stages [1, 31]

Stage l Heating the metal to a specified temperature.
Stage2Soaking(holding) the metal at that temperature for a specific period of time.
Stage 3 Cooling that material to again room temperature.

Stage l - The primary objective in the heating stage is to maintain uniform temperatures. If
uneven heating occurs, one section of a part can expand faster than another and result in
distortion or cracking. Uniform temperatures are attained by slow heating.

8
Stage 2 - After the metal is heated to the proper temperature, it is held at that temperature until
the desired internal structural changes take place. This process is called soaking. The length of
time held at the proper temperature is called the soaking period. This is used for metals that
require a rapid cooling rate, and soaking period depends on the chemical analysis of the metal
and the mass of the part. When steel parts are uneven in cross section, the soaking period is
determined by the largest section.

Stage 3 - After a metal has been soaked, it must be returned to room temperature to complete the
heat treating process. To cool the metal, the material can be directly in contact with a cooling
medium composed of a gas, liquid, solid, or in combination of any of these. The rate at which the
metal is cooled depends on the metal and the properties desired. The rate of cooling depends on
the medium; therefore, the choice of a cooling medium has an important influence on the
properties desired.

2.4.2 Types of Heat Treatment

Figure2.1. Types of heat treatment in steels[2]

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 2.4.2.1 Annealing

Annealing is the heating of steel to austenite temperature and then cooling slowly in the furnace.
The purpose of annealing is
1. To reduce hardness.
2. To improve machinability.
3. To increase or to restore ductility.
4. To relieve internal stresses.
5. To reduce or eliminate structural inhomogeneity.
6. To refine grain size.
7. To prepare steel for subsequent heat treatment.

Slow cooling results in the formation of spheroidal carbide and (coarse) lamellar pearlite.
Annealing results in the formation of ferrite, spheroidal cementite and coarse pearlite. In ferrous
alloys, annealing is done by heating it above upper critical temperature and then slowing cooling
it to the room temperature, so that pearlite forms as the resulting microstructure. This process is
used to remove hardness which arises due to cold working, in cases like pure metals and other
alloys that cannot be heat treated. Here the defects caused by plastic deformation are repaired by
heating the metal above the re-crystallization temperature. Here the rate of cooling has a little
effect to the final properties.

Ferrous alloys are annealed by 2 types-

Full annealed: - Very slow cooling rates resulting in coarse pearlite.

Process annealed: - The cooling rate may be faster, resulting in a uniform microstructure
[31].

2.4.2.2 Normalizing

Normalizing of steel is a heat-treating process that is often considered from both thermal and
microstructural standpoints. In the thermal sense, normalizing is an austenitizing heating cycle
followed by cooling in still or slightly agitated air. Typically, the work is heated to a temperature
about 55 C (100 F) above the upper critical line of the iron-iron carbide phase diagram, as
shown in Fig. 1; that is, above Ac3 for hypoeutectoid steels and above Acm for hypereutectoid

10
steels. To be properly classed as a normalizing treatment, the heating portion of the process must
produce a homogeneous austenitic phase (face-centered cubic, or fcc, crystal structure) prior to
cooling [31, 33].

2.4.2.3 Stress relieving

It is done to remove the internal stresses in a metal that may have aroused from cold working
and/or non-uniform cooling. Generally in this process, metal is heated below the lower critical
temperature followed by uniform cooling. [31]

2.4.2.4 Hardening

Hardening is a process in which steel is heated to austenite temperature held at this temperature
and then quenched in water oil or molten salt baths. Hypoeutectoid steels are heated from 30-
50C above the upper critical temperature (UCT), while hypereutectoid steels are heated above
the lower critical temperature.
Cooling at a rate higher than the critical value enables the austenite to be supercooled to
martensite point. Due to rapid cooling carbon freezes at its location and the microstructure
appears like colloidal solution of cementite in ferrite. This microstructure is called martensite
which is very hard and brittle. Hardened steel is very brittle and cannot be used for practical
purposes. After hardening steel must be tempered to reduce brittleness, relieve the internal
stresses caused by hardening and to obtain the desired mechanical properties. Hardening
followed by tempering improves the mechanical properties of steels. In case of tool steels, it
increases the hardness and wear retaining the toughness at the same time. In case of structural
steel, it improves strength, ductility and toughness.[31]
The process is carried out in three stages:
1. Heating the object to a temperature above the crictical point.
2. Holding the object at this temperature for a definite period.
3. Quenching in a suitable medium.
The hardening process is based on the metallurgical reaction of eutectoid. This reaction is
dependent upon.

11
 a) Adequate C-content to produce hardening.
b) Austenite decomposition.
c) Heating rate and time.
d) Quenching medium.
e) Quenching rate.
f) Size of the part.
g) Surface condition.

2.4.2.5 Aging

By quenching some metals that are known as precipitation hardening metals, the alloying
elements present in it are trapped in solution which results in a softer metal. Aging helps a
"solutionized" metal to increase its strength, by allowing the alloying elements to form
intermetallic particles by diffusing through the microstructure. These intermetallic particles act
as a reinforcing phase by nucleating and falling out of solution.

Alloys may age in 2 types

Naturally: - Precipitates form at room temperatures.

Artificially: - Precipitates form at elevated temperatures.

In some applications, naturally aging alloys are stored in a freezer to prevent hardening until
further operations like assembly of rivets.

Examples of precipitation hardening alloys include some stainless steels. Steels that are harden
by aging are termed as a combination of "martensite aging"[31] and generally referred to as
maraging steels.

2.4.2.6 Quenching

In this process the metal is cooled in a rapid rate resulting in martensite transformation.
Resulting in-

12
 Harder Metal:- In case of Ferrous Metal
Softer than normal: - In case of Non- Ferrous.

Here the metal (usually steel or cast iron) is heated above the upper critical temperature and then
cooled rapidly. The Cooling medium depends on the alloy and other considerations (such as
concern for maximum hardness vs. cracking and distortion). Cooling medium includes, Forced
air or other gases (such as nitrogen) & Liquids with good thermal conductivity such as water, oil,
a polymer dissolved in water, or brine thermal conductivity. The Martensite thus formed from the
austenitic portion has a hard and brittle crystalline structure. The chemical composition and
quenching method determines the quenched hardness of a metal. Polymer (i.e. silicon) has the
fastest cooling rate followed by brine, fresh water, oil, and forced air. But due to the possibility
of cracking due to very fast cooling, Oil should be used as the quenching medium in high-tensile
steels such as AISI 4140 should, Forced air to be used in tool steels such as ISO 1.2767 or H13
hot work tool steel, and Brine or water is to be used in low alloy or medium-tensile steels such as
XK1320 or AISI 1040.

Austenitic stainless steels must be quenched to become fully corrosion resistant, as they work-
harden significantly [31].

2.4.2.7 Tempering

The martensite which is formed during quenching is too hard and brittle and hence cannot be
used in many cases, the residual stresses are also developed during martensite formation hence
hardening should be followed by tempering. Tempering consist of heating the hardened steel to a
temperature below the lower critical temperature holding it for some time and then cooling
slowly. It is the final operation in heat treatment.

Some advantages of tempering are:

1. Residual stresses are relived.
2. Ductility is improved.
3. Toughness is increased.

13
The higher is the tempering temperature, the more will be the residual stresses in which hardness
is reduced and toughness is increased at high tempering temperature. The work is cooled slowly
after tempering. The cooling rates considerably affect the residual stresses.
Other methods of tempering consist of quenching the metal to a temperature, above the
martensite start temperature, and then holding it there till pure bainite is formed or internal
stresses are relieved. These include austempering and martempering [31]. The different types of
heat treatments in steel are schematically illustrated in Fig. 2.1.

2.4.2.8 Spheroidizing

Spheroidizing is a heat treatment process which results in a structure consisting of globules or

spheroids of carbide in a matrix of ferrite. In other words, ceroentite of lamellar pearlite in the
case of hypoeutectoid and eutectoid steels, and both lamellar and free cementite in the case of
hypo-eutectoid steels, coalesce into tiny spheroids. The degree of spheroidisation depends on
heat treatment temperature and holding time. The process can be completed in short time by
increasing the treatment temperature. However, selection of proper temperature is very
important. With high spheroidization temperatures, dissolved carbide particles can reappear as
lamellae during cooling. High carbon steels and alloy steels are frequently spheroidized in order
to improve machinability and ductility.

2.4.3 Effect of alloying elements in Steel

Alloying elements are added to effect changes in the properties of steels. The different alloying
elements added to the basic system of iron and carbon, and they change the properties or
effectiveness of steel.

14
Carbon: The presence of carbon in iron is necessary to make steel. Carbon is essential to the
formation of cementite (as well as other carbides), and to the formation of pearlite, spheroidite,
bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the micro-structures,
and the structure sought after by knifemakers. The hardness of steel (or more accurately, the
hardenability) is increased by the addition of more carbon, up to about 0.65 percent. Wear
resistance can be increased in amounts up to about 1.5 percent. Beyond this amount, increases of
carbon reduce toughness and increase brittleness. The steels of interest to knifemakers generally
contain between 0.5 and 1.5 percent carbon. They are described as follows:
Low Carbon: Under 0.4 percent
Medium Carbon: 0.4 - 0.6 percent
High Carbon: 0.7 - 1.5 percent
Carbon is the single most important alloying element in steel.

Manganese: Manganese slightly increases the strength of ferrite, and also increases the hardness
penetration of steel in the quench by decreasing the critical quenching speed. This also makes the
steel more stable in the quench. Steels with manganese can be quenched in oil rather than water,
and therefore are less susceptible to cracking because of a reduction in the shock of quenching.
Manganese is present in most commercially made steels.

Chromium: As with manganese, chromium has a tendency to increase hardness penetration.

This element has many interesting effects on steel. When 5 percent chromium or more is used in
conjunction with manganese, the critical quenching speed is reduced to the point that the steel
becomes air hardening. Chromium can also increase the toughness of steel, as well as the wear
resistance. Probably one of the most well known effects of chromium on steel is the tendency to
resist staining and corrosion. Steels with 14 percent or more chromium are referred to as stainless
steels. A more accurate term would be stain resistant. Stainless tool steels will in fact darken and
rust, just not as readily as the non-stainless varieties. Steels with chromium also have higher
critical temperatures in heat treatment.

15
Silicon: Silicon is used as a deoxidizer in the manufacture of steel. It slightly increases the
strength of ferrite, and when used in conjunction with other alloys can help increase the
toughness and hardness penetration of steel.

Nickel: Nickel increases the strength of ferrite, therefore increasing the strength of the steel. It is
used in low alloy steels to increase toughness and hardenability. Nickel also tends to help reduce
distortion and cracking during the quenching phase of heat treatment.

Molybdenum: Molybdenum increases the hardness penetration of steel, slows the critical
quenching speed, and increases high temperature tensile strength.

Vanadium: Vanadium helps control grain growth during heat treatment. By inhibiting grain
growth it helps increase the toughness and strength of the steel.

Boron: Boron can significantly increase the hardenability of steel without loss of ductility. Its
effectiveness is most noticeable at lower carbon levels. The addition of boron is usually in very
small amounts ranging from 0.0005 to 0.003 percent.[32]

2.4.4 Effects of time and temperature

16
 Figure 2.2 Time-temperature transformation (TTT) diagram for steel[17]

Fig. 2.2 shows the TTT diagram for steel. Control over temperature is very critical in a heat
treatment, for example the amount of time that an alloy is hold at a certain temperature and in the
cooling rates of a particular cooling medium [31]. All heat treatment except stress-relieving,

tempering, and aging, begin by heating an alloy above A3 temperature. The heat penetrates the
alloy, which results in a complete solid solution. Since Mechanical properties like toughness,
shear strength and tensile strength are enhanced because of a smaller grain structure, the metals
is kept to a temperature above the upper critical temperature, which prevent large grain growth.
For example, the austenitic grains are fine just above the upper critical temp and grow bigger as
we increase the temperature. This affects the martensite grain structure when quenched. Larger
grains with large grain-boundaries act as weak spots in the structure. So, the probability of
breakage of the metal is governed by its grain structure. [31]

Diffusion transformation is time controlled. Cooling a metal usually suppress the precipitation to
a much lower temperature. For Example, when rapidly cooled Austenite can exist in a highly
unstable form hundreds of degree below the lower critical temperature. With time it will
precipitate to ferrite and cementite. So, the rate of grain growth or to form partially martensitic
microstructures can be controlled by the cooling rate. [33]

17
The austenite grain size affects the rate of nucleation when it is cooled slowly and martensitic
transformation doesnt occur. But normally temperature and the rate of cooling control the grain
size and microstructure. "Sphereoidite." is formed when austenite is cooled extremely slowly; it
results in large ferrite crystals filled with spherical inclusions of cementite. Coarse pearlite is
formed for a faster cooling rate. Even faster cooling rate will result in fine pearlite. If cooling
rate is still increased the result will be bainite. Similarly, these microstructures will form if the
metal is held at a certain temperature after cooling till that temperature. [33]

In case of non-ferrous alloys heat treatment is done to form a solution. Mostly, these quenched to
result in a martensite transformation, which puts the solution into a supersaturated state. The
alloy can be cold worked as they are in a softer state, and these plastic deformation results in
defects which in turn speed up precipitation, resulting in increased hardness and strength of the
metal.

Even if not cold worked, the solutes in these alloys will usually precipitate, although the process
may take much longer. Sometimes in order to speed-up the precipitation these metals are heated
to a temperature below A1 temperature, so that re-crystallization is prevented. [31, 34, 35]

18
 Figure 2.3: The Isothermal Transformation diagram for AISI -52100 Alloy Steel.[48]

For normal hardening the material should be austenitized at 1555F (845C) but if distortions are
an issue it can be done at 1500F (815C).
When the temperature reach Ms the cooling rate should be lower to allow for an even
temperature change throughout the whole part. In that way there is less induced stresses from
thermal fields and from changes in microstructure.
The change in microstructure during the austenite to martensite transformation induces a volume
increase as the BCT crystal structure has a lower density than the austenites FCC structure. Even
if you get ferrite instead of martensite a volume increase will take place even if it is less than for
martensite. This is due to the BCC structure that has a density between the BCT and FCC crystal
structure. These volume changes are true for all steel with some minor differences in the exact
volume changes due to the alloying elements [48].

Some unusual heat and thermomechanical treatments have been used in an attempt to improve
the homogeneity, ease of spheroidisation, tensile ductility and toughness of AISI-52100 Alloy
Steels. The experimental design was based largely on the notion that carbides within the
structure, which do not dissolve during austenitisation, are detrimental to these particular
properties[2]. The heat treatments were therefore more complex, as follows:

1. Austenitisation at the higher than normal temperature of 900C followed quenching to

martensite and tempering at 250C for 1 h. Because of the higher carbon concentration
introduced into the austenite, the martensite was harder (64.5 HRC) and it was not
possible to measure the tensile properties due to brittle failure of the sample before
macroscopic yield, possibly due to microcracking of the martensite.
2. Austenitisation at 1150C, an interrupted quench into hot-oil at 150C to avoid quench
cracking, cooling to ambient temperature, followed by a reaustenitisation at 900C for
just 20 min in order to generate a refined austenite grain size, and then oil quenching to
martensite and tempering at 250C for 1 h. This also led to strong and brittle tensile test
samples.
3. The martensite-start temperature following austenitisation at 900C was estimated to be
250C; a partly bainitic microstructure was therefore produced by isothermal

19
 transformation at 255C for 1 h, followed by cooling to ambient temperature so that some
of the residual austenite transformed into untempered martensite. This sample exhibited
the best toughness and an ultimate tensile strength of some 2150 MPa. The toughness
improved further when a double austenitisation heat treatment (as above) was utilised
prior to isothermal transformation.
4. It has been demonstrated that undissolved carbides in AISI-52100 Alloy Steel can be
significantly refined by warm working, i.e., plastic deformation at about 650C. The
process of refinement is more rapid when the initial microstructure is tempered
martensite as opposed to pearlite. It is interesting that warm working can yield such a fine
mixture of chromium-stabilised cementite and ferrite grains, that 52100 steel becomes
superplastic during tensile testing using slow strain rates at 650C, resulting in an
elongation which exceeds some 1000%.
5. Thermal cycling has also been shown to lead to a refined microstructure in high-carbon
steels. The first stage is to dissolve all the carbides and quench the austenite. The
martensite is then heated to a temperature just within the c + h phase field so that the
austenite grains which form are pinned by cementite. The fine austenite grains are then
quenched again and the cycle repeated until a point of diminishing returns.
6. Thermomechanical processing of the type used routinely for mass-produced low-alloy
steels has the potential for significant reductions in the austenite grain size. The process
involved the deformation and repeated recrystallisation or pancaking of austenite grains
prior to their transformation. Xie et al. studied this for AISI-52100 Alloy Steel, but the
alloy is not designed for purpose because it lacks the required number density of stable
carbides capable of pinning the austenite grain boundaries, and hence did not achieve
significant changes in the final microstructure. Mechanical properties were not reported.
7. Bearing steels are usually hot-rolled or hot-forged; a reduction in the finish rolling
temperature to some 750800C has been shown to refine large carbides and to
significantly reduce the time for spheroidisation. Any grain boundary cementite should
also be broken up by this process.

2.5 Wear

20
Wear refers to the progressive removal of material from a surface and plastic deformation of
material on a surface due to the mechanical action of the other surface [28]. The necessity for
relative motion between the operating surfaces and initial mechanical contact between asperities
leads an important role between mechanical wear compared to other processes with similar
outcomes [28,37].

2.5.1 Factors affecting the wear performance of materials

Wear behavior of a material depends on many factors.

It is highly depends upon the surface material, the shape of the contacting surfaces,
environment, operating conditions and also on the type of material of which the
components are made. As wear will be very different between tool steel on tool steel and
tool steel on aluminum.

Surface of solids, ranging from bulk surface distortion to local microscopic irregularities,
exert a strong influence on wear.

More is the surface roughness; more is the probability of wear.

The effects of alloying element have a great impact on wear and friction. For example,
presence of high sulphur content (about 100 ppm) in the bainitic steels leads to a high
fraction of MnS inclusion. The removal of material is enhanced by the presence of such
inclusions as they come close to the surface and form open cracks [36].
Wear behavior can also greatly affected by crystal structure, grain size, and grain
boundaries. The presence of grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials influences
friction as well as wear behaviour. When sliding motion occurs, surface dislocations are
blocked in their movement by a grain boundary and they accumulate at the grain
boundary which results in strain-hardening of the surface layers. This action makes
sliding motion more difficult and increases frictional force for materials in sliding contact
leads to wear of the material [37].

21
 The presence of more aggressive atmosphere results in formation of oxides on the worn
surfaces. The type of loading is an important factor that means the wear of two objects
rubbing together is different than wear occurs due to one object impacts the other.

Speed, temperature, and lubrication also affect the wear of components.

2.5.3 Wear mechanisms

The several wear mechanisms acting either alone, or simultaneously on a material are as follows:
Adhesive wear
Abrasive wear
Fretting wear
Surface fatigue and
Tribochemical or corrosive wear

2.5.3.1 Adhesive wear

Adhesive wear occurs due to materials adhering or sticking with each other under loading which
results in material transfer between the two surfaces or the loss of material from either surface
[38]. Adhesive wear mechanism is schematically shown in Fig. 2.5.

22
 Figure 2.5. Adhesive wear mechanism [38]

2.5.3.2 Abrasive wear

Abrasive wear takes place due to rubbing of softer surface by the harder surface. In the case of
ductile materials, hard particles or hard asperities results in plastic flow of softer material. In
brittle materials, wear occurs by brittle fracture [38]. Abrasion is categorized depending on the
types of contact, as well as contact environment. Depending on the types of contacts, abrasive
wear can be classified as two-body and three-body wear. The former occurs due to an abrasive
slides along a surface, and the later, due to an abrasive is caught between one surface and another
[39]. Fig. 2.6 shows the schematic representation of two body and three body wear mechanisms.

23
 Figure 2.6. Two and three body abrasive wears mechanism[37]

Fig. 2.7 represents some of the processes that are possible in case of abrasive wear. They include
plowing, wedge formation, cutting, micro fatigue and micro cracking [39]. Plowing is the
process of displacing material from a groove to the sides, away from wear particles. The most
severe form of wear for ductile material is cutting. During cutting materials separated from the
surface like conventional machining [39].

Figure 2.7. Five processes of abrasive wear (a) Plowing (b) Wedge (c) Cutting (d) Micro
fatigue (e) Micro cracking[37]

2.5.3.3 Fretting wear

Fretting wear refers to small amplitude oscillatory motion that occurs between
contacting surfaces which are usually at rest. The movement is usually because of the

24
external vibration, but in most cases it occurs due to one of the members being in
contact subjected to cyclic stress which gives rise to early fatigue cracks. This is known
as fretting fatigue [39]. It is affected by different variables such as amplitude of slip,
normal load applied on the material, frequency of vibration and also on fretting
situation, such as type of contact, mode of vibration and the condition of surfaces. Fig.
2.8 illustrates the schematic representation of Fretting wear.

Figure 2.8. Fretting wear[38]

2.5.3.4 Surface fatigue

Surface fatigue occurs when surface undergoes repeated cycles of stress. It is represented in Fig.
2.9. This may be due to sliding or rolling motion of surfaces. When material is subjected to
several cycles of stress, there may be crack formation in/near the surface. However, in an
interface of materials the contacting stresses are very high and surface fatigue wear mechanism
can be operative [38].

25
 Figure 2.9. Surface Fatigue[39]

2.5.3.5. Corrosive wear

Corrosive wear occurs when sliding takes place in a corrosive environment. The most dominant
corrosive medium is oxygen. The combined effect of friction and chemical reaction leads to total
material losses that are much greater than any of the process taken alone [38]. In the absence of
sliding, the chemical products form a protective layer on the surface, which tends to lower the
corrosion, but the sliding motion wears the chemical film away, so that the chemical attack
continues [38]. The schematic diagram of corrosive wear is illustrated in Fig. 2.10.

Figure 2.10. Corrosive wear [38]

2.5.3.6. Erosion wear

Erosive wear results from sharp particles impinging on a surface such as the cutting of materials
by hard particles. This action is similar like sandblasting. Figure 2.11 shows the erosion wear
schematically.

26
 Figure 2.11. Erosion wear [38]

METHODOLOGY ADOPTED

3. Experimental

3.1. Material

AISI-52100 steel is commonly used in

o Ball and roller applications.
o Ship, truck, bus engines.
o Construction machinery.
o Bearing steel bar and wire rod.
o Bearing steel tube.
o Steering column bearing steel.
o Bearing seamless pipes.
o Aircraft and stationary turbine engines.

The chemical composition of AISI-52100 Steel was analysed by Optical Emission

Spectroscope (OES) is given in the table.

Material C% Mn% Si% P% S% Cr% Ni% Mo% Cu% V% Al% Ti% Nb% Co% B% Fe%

27
AISI-52100 0.951 0.482 0.173 0.033 0.053 1.04 0.083 0.023 0.126 0.021 0.01 0.025 0.066 0.112 0.003 96.8

Table 3 Chemical composition of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel

3.2. Experimental Procedures

3.2.1 Tensile Test:

The tensile test is commonly done to provide basic design information, to identify the strength
of materials and as a means for specification of materials. The tensile test was done with the
help of Electric Tensometer Machine. The A type specimen was used for tensile test.

Figure 3.1: Standard A type Round Specimen for Tensile Testing.

28
 Figure 3.2: Electric Tensometer machine

3.2.2 Heat Treatment of samples

The material of our investigation (AISI-52100 Steel) was first subjected to Conventional
Hardening and Normalizing Heat treatment. Total numbers of 48 specimens of impact (12), wear
(12), tensile (12), hardness (12) were machined from the supplied plate material. These
specimens were subjected to conventional hardening treatment followed by aging at different
temperatures also normalizing at different temperatures. The heat treatments were done in Muffle
furnace.

29
 Figure 3.3: Muffle Furnance

3.2.3 Material Characterization

Material characterization was performed by following method.

1. Optical Microscopy
2. Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)
3. X-Ray Diffraction(XRD)

Metallography is the microscopic study of the structural characteristics of a metal or an alloy.

The success in microscopic study depends mostly upon the care taken in the preparation of the
samples. So the ultimate objective is to produce a flat, scratch-free, mirror like surface.

Steps involved in sample preparation:

The steps adopted in sample preparation are as follows.

1. Cutting a specimen
2. Rough Grinding
3. Intermediate Polishing
4. Fine Polishing
5. Etching

30
1. Cutting of specimens: Cutting of samples was performed by Horizontal Cutting Bandsaw
Machine. The samples were cut in dimensions of 7.5 mm x 7.5 mm x 10 mm. One from each
heat treated types of specimen was taken for microscopic study. Then twelve specimens i.e.
one from each heat treated types was taken to the second stage of specimen preparation i.e.
the rough grinding stage.

2. Rough Grinding: The sample was rough-ground on a Surface Grinder, with the specimen
made cool by continuous dropping in water during the grinding operation. The specimen was
made to move perpendicular to the existing scratches. The rough grinding was continued
until the surface was made flat and free of nicks, burrs, etc., and no scratches due to the
hacksaw was found any more visible.
3. Intermediate Polishing: After rough grinding, the specimens were ground with rotating
discs of abrasive paper, i.e., wet silicon carbide paper. The coarseness of the paper is
indicated by a number, that is, the number of grains of silicon carbide per square inch (for
example, 180 grit paper is coarser than 1200). The grinding procedure involves several
stages, using a finer paper (higher number) for each successive stage i.e. from 220, 320, 400,
600, 800, 1000, and 1200 to at least 1500. Each grinding stage removes the scratches from
the previous coarser paper. This was more easily obtained by orienting the specimen
perpendicular to the previous scratches, and watching for these previously oriented scratches
to get obliterated. Typically, the finest grade of paper used was the 1500, and once the only
scratches left on the specimen were from this grade, the specimen was thoroughly washed
with soapy water and then allowed to dry.

4. Fine Polishing: The final approximation to a flat scratch-free surface was obtained by use of
a wet rotating wheel covered with a special cloth that was charged with cautiously sized
abrasive particles. The abrasive used was diamond paste. The selection of a paper polishing
cloth depends upon the specific material being polished and the purpose of the
metallographic study. The cloth used in our case was velvet cloth.

31
 Figure 3.4: Disc Polisher
3.2.3.1 Optical Microscopy
The micro-examination and phase analysis were done using optical microscope fitted with
Image Analyzer. The percentages of phases present in the microstructure were obtained
according to ASTM E562.

32
 Figure 3.5: Image Analyzer

3.2.3.2 Scanning Electron Microscopy

The specimen preparation for SEM was similar to that of optical microscopy. To study the
microstructures of heat treated specimens, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used.
The microstructure was revealed under much higher magnification from 500X to 5000X.

33
 Figure 3.6: Scanning Electron Microscopy Machine

3.2.3.3 X-Ray Diffraction

X-ray is a non-destructive and analytical method for identification and quantitative analysis of
various crystalline phases of the compound present in the samples. Diffraction occurs when the
waves collide with a regular structure in which the repeating distance is approximately same as
the wavelength of the wave. It happens that X-rays have wavelengths with n th order of a few

34
angstroms. This means that the X-rays can be easily diffracted from materials which are
crystalline and have the repeating and regular atomic structures. When the required parameters
achieved, the X-rays that get scattered from a crystalline solid can interfere constructively, thus
producing a diffracted beam of light. In 1912, W.L.Brag derived a relationship among several
factors, some of them are:
(a) The interatomic spacing which is known as d-spacing and is measured in angstroms.
(b) The angle of diffraction which is known as the theta angle and is measured in degrees.
(c) The wavelength of the incident X-rays, denoted by the lambda and in this case, is equal to
1.54angstroms.

Figure 3.7: XRD Machine

3.2.4 HARDNESS TEST

The hardness of all heat treated samples was measured with the help of Rockwell testing
machine as shown in Figure. The sample surfaces were made flat by Surface Grinding
Machine and then polishing on Emery papers of different grid size.

35
 Figure 3.8: Rockwell Hardness Testing Machine

3.2.5 Sliding Wear Test

The sliding wear test was conducted on Wear samples that were prepared and heat treated.
The test was done in Pin and Disc Tribometer model CM-9112. The Pin and Disc Tribometer
has a significant advance in terms of multiple contact geometry selection, convenience of
operation, ease of specimen clamping and removal, accuracy of measurements of test
parameters load, speed, temperature, wear and frictional torque. It facilitates study of friction
and wear characteristics in rolling sliding contacts under desired test conditions. Normal
load, rotational speed and temperature can be changed to suit varied test conditions.
Tangential frictional force and wear are measured with electronic sensors and recorded on
PC. These parameters are available as functions of load and speed.

36
 Figure 3.9: Pin on Disc Tribometer model CM-9112

Samples preparation for wear test

Total of 12 samples were taken for the wear test among which nine samples
were undergone Conventional Hardening and last three undergone normalizing
heat treatment. For conducting sliding wear test, the specimens were prepared
with the dimensions of diameter 8 mm and length 15 mm. The samples of
required dimensions were prepared from the previously cut specimens of
diameter 8 mm and length 16 mm dimensions by polishing. The sample surfaces
were polished properly to give the samples a mirror-like appearance by different
sizes of grit papers.

IMAGES OF SPECIMEN PREPARED

37
TENSILE SPECIMEN WEAR SPECIMEN
(A-TYPE) (DIA.-8mm;Length-15mm)

IMPACT SPECIMEN HARDNESS SPECIMEN

(56mm X10mm X10mm) (10mm X 10mm X 8mm)
Figure 3.10 Images of samples prepared(tensile, wear, impact, hardness).

38
 4 RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Chemical Composition of AISI-52100 Steel by Optical Emission Spectroscope (OES)

which is found as:

Material C% Mn% Si% P% S% Cr% Ni% Mo% Cu% V% Al% Ti% Nb% Co% B% Fe%

AISI-52100 0.951 0.482 0.173 0.033 0.053 1.04 0.083 0.023 0.126 0.021 0.01 0.025 0.066 0.112 0.003 96.8

4.2 Microstructural Characterization

Figure: 4.1 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel in hot rolled condition.

Figure: 4.2 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel on Spheriodisation.

39
Figure 4.1 shows pearlitic microstructure including some proeutectoid cementite at the prior
austenite grain boundaries. The proeutectoid cementite, when it forms networks at the austenite
grain boundaries, is undesirable because it has been shown to adversely affect the rolling contact
fatigue life in accelerated tests conducted with contact stresses in excess of 5 GPa. Figure 4.2
shows mixture of relatively coarse cementite particles and ferrite.

Figure: 4.3 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel as received.

Figure 4.3 shows pearlite and cementite phases.

40
 Figure: 4.4 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel on Hardening at 800C and Aging at
200C

Figure: 4.5 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Steel after Hardening at 850C and Aging 100C.

Figure: 4.6 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Steel after Hardening at 900C and Aging 150C.
Figures 4.4 reveals martensite, alloy carbides and some retained austenite. The microstructures
show tempered martensite with alloy carbides, the morphology of martensite becoming coarser
with increasing aging temperature as shown in Figure 4.5 and 4.6.

41
Figure: 4.7 Microstructure of AISI-52100 Steel after Normalizing at 900C shows fine pearlitic
structure.

42
4.3 TENSILE STRENGTH OF VARIOUS SAMPLES AFTER HEAT
TREATMENT PROCESS

1.AUSTENITIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED BY TENSILE STRENGTH(MPa)

OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)1219

B)AGING AT 150C B)1181
C)AGING AT 200C C)1113

2.AUSTENITIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED BY TENSILE STRENGTH(MPa)

OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)1267

B)AGING AT 150C B)1203
C)AGING AT 200C C)1124

3.AUSTENITIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED BY TENSILE STRENGTH(MPa)

OIL QUENCHING:
A)1310
A)AGING AT 100C B)1196
B)AGING AT 150C C)1056
C)AGING AT 200C

4.NORMALIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED BY 1432

AIR COOLING

5.NORMALIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED BY 1397

AIR COOLING

6.NORMALIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED BY 1465

AIR COOLING

43
 Table 3 Tensile Strength of Heat treated samples.

4.4 HARDNESS OF VARIOUS SAMPLES AS MEASURED ON

ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTER:

1.AUSTENITIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED HARDNESS(Rc)

BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)58.5

B)AGING AT 150C B)56

C)AGING AT 200C C)51

2.AUSTENITIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED HARDNESS(Rc)

BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)62

B)AGING AT 150C B)59

C)AGING AT 200C C)58

3.AUSTENITIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED HARDNESS(Rc)

BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)62

B)AGING AT 150C B)60

C)AGING AT 200C C)56

44
 HARDNESS(Rc)

4. NORMALIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED

48
BY AIR COOLING

HARDNESS(Rc)

5. NORMALIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED

51
BY AIR COOLING

HARDNESS(Rc)

6. NORMALIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED

52
BY AIR COOLING

70

60

50

40

Rc at Aging 100C Rc at Aging 150C Rc at Aging 200C

30

20

10

0
1 2 3

Figure 4.8: Variation of hardness of heat treated samples at different hardening temperatures
followed by aging at different temperatures.

45
 Hardness Rc
53
52
51
50 Hardness Rc

49
48
47
46
1 2 3

Figure 4.9: Variation of hardness of heat treated samples at different normalizing temperatures.

4.5 IMPACT STRENGTH VALUES OF VARIOUS SAMPLES AS

OBTAINED BY CHARPY TEST:

1.AUSTENITIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED IMPACT STRENGTH (J)

BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)0.04 J/mm2

B)AGING AT 150C B)0.048 J/mm2

C)AGING AT 200C C)0.052 J/mm2

2.AUSTENITIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED

BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)0.055 J/mm2

B)AGING AT 150C B)0.0675 J/mm2

C)AGING AT 200C C)0.07 J/mm2

46
3.AUSTENITIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED
BY OIL QUENCHING:

A)AGING AT 100C A)0.074 J/mm2

B)AGING AT 150C B)0.079 J/mm2

C)AGING AT 200C C)0.087J/mm2

4. NORMALIZING AT 800C FOLLOWED

0.15 J/mm2
BY AIR COOLING

5. NORMALIZING AT 850C FOLLOWED

0.125 J/mm2
BY AIR COOLING

6. NORMALIZING AT 900C FOLLOWED

0.175 J/mm2
BY AIR COOLING

Table 5 Impact strength values of various samples as obtained by Charpy Test

4.6 XRD Analysis

47
Figure 4.10: X-Ray Diffraction patterns of as received AISI-52100 Alloy Steel.

48
 Figure 4.11: X-Ray Diffraction pattern of Hardened at (900C) and aging at 100C and 150C.

Figure 4.10 shows the diffraction pattern of as received material which indicates pearlitic peak
with cementite at prior austenite grain boundaries. Figure 4.11 shows that on hardened at (900C)
and aging temperature (100C and 150C) process Pearlitic structure converts into martensite. As
the Aging temperature increases the intensity of the martensite increases i.e. the martensite peak
shift towards left side.

49
 4.7 Wear Results

No. Heat treatment methods Weight loss(gm) Wear rate(gm/cm)

1 Hardening at 800C and Aging at 150C 0.002 0.0002

2 Hardening at 850C and Aging at 100C 0.010 0.001

3 Hardening at 900C and Aging at 100C 0.005 0.0005

4 Normalizing at 800C 0.003 0.0003

5 Normalizing at 850C 0.004 0.0004

6 Normalizing at 900C 0.004 0.0004

Table 6: Wear rate of heat treated samples

50
 4.8 Worn surfaces analysis by SEM

Figure 4.11: Worn out surface of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel after Conventional Hardening Heat
treatment process (Hardening at 800C and Aging at 150C) subjected to 30 N load at 1000X.

51
 Figure 4.12: Worn out surface of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel after Conventional Hardening
(Hardening at 900C and Aging at 100C) subjected to 30 N load at (a) 1000X, (b) 3000X.

52
Figure 4.13: Worn out surface of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel after Conventional Hardening Heat
treatment process (Hardening at 800C and Aging at 100C) subjected to 30 N load at (a)
1000X, (b) 3000X.

53
 Figure 4.14: Worn out surface of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel after Normalizing Heat treatment
process (Normalizing at 800C) subjected to 30 N load at (a) 1000X, (b) 3000X.

The white scratches seen on the worn out surface of Fig 4.11. , Fig 4.12. Fig 4.13. reveals the
amount of wear occurs and also the direction in which the wear occurs and the pattern it follows.
Figure shows the more wear taking place in Normalized sample (Normalizing at 900C)
subjected to 30N load than subjected to Conventional Hardening samples at 30N load. Fig4.14.
shows the highest wear. Fig. 4.12., Fig 4.13. & Fig 4.14. shows the similar type of wear pattern
i.e. the abrasive wear is taking place in the four cases. The direction in which the wear takes
place is represented by sliding direction which is indicated in Fig 4.11.

54
 5 Conclusions and future work

5.1 Conclusions

i. Different heat treatment has different effect on microstructures and mechanical properties

55
 of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel.
ii. Impact strength of normalized samples is greater than Conventional Hardening samples.
iii. Microstructural variation is responsible for the sliding wear behavior of AISI-52100
Alloy Steel.
iv. Variation of wear with respect to time increases with increasing level of load on the
material as with increase in load, there will be more friction at the surfaces in contact,
which leads to increase in wear of material.
v. Normalized sample have less wear rate than Conventional Hardening samples.

5.2 Scope for Future Work

i. Effect of other heat treatment processes on microstructure and mechanical properties can
also be studied.

56
 ii. Present work is based on the dry sliding wear behaviour study of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel.
Future investigation leaves a wide scope for the researcher to study on lubricating wear
condition of the same material.
iii. Erosion wear behavior of AISI-52100 Alloy Steel can also be studied.

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