Guidelines for the rail grade selection
M. Tomicic-Torlakovic, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia Over the years the rail steel manufacturing process and quality of material produced have improved significantly through alloy design and/or head treatment procedure. The objective of this paper is to give the recommendations for the application of the available rail steel grades in accordance with the accessible investigations. The main source are the results of the Innotrack project in correlation with Euronorm prEN 13674-1. The conclusion for the Serbian Railway is made.
Friction modifiers effects on tribological behaviour of bainitic rail steels
Bainitic steels are gaining popularity for application in the railway switches and crossing, thanks to their better rolling contact fatigue (RCF) and wear resistance. The rail degradation caused by RCF and wear could be also reduced by the use of friction modifiers (FM) through their ability to reduce the lateral load during wheel passage. This paper presents the microstructure and the mechanical properties of newly designed bainitic steel grades; B1400 + and Cr–B potential candidates for switches and turnouts railroad industry. It investigates their friction and wear performances using the HOrizontal twin DIsk Machine. The tribological behavior is evaluated under dry and lubricated conditions in combination with three commercial friction modifiers. Results show a better wear resistance of Cr–B steel in case of abrasive mechanism that dominates the dry experiments. This work defines the efficiency of FM as a low and stable friction coefficient concomitant to a low wear rate. It appears that a good tribological performance is untimely linked to the chemical composition of the friction modifier. In case of lubricated contact, cross-sectioning of wear scare confirms the generation of an interfacial layers. These layers have an impact on the wear mechanism and debris detachment susceptibilities of bainitic steels.
A feasibility study of adolescent sex education: medical students as peer educators in Edinburgh schools
Objectives To determine the feasibility of medical students being involved in sex education in secondary schools, as lesson leaders in peer group discussions.