4.

Metallurgy of Rail Steels

The three steel grades most commonly Table 1 Rail steel grades in the NR network
found in the UK rail network are Grade
220, 260 and 350HT. Network Rail (NR) Grade Description Branding lines Hardness
favours Grade 220 for both tangent and Range (HBW)
curved track and this grade is likely to
account for more than 90% of the total 200 Carbon-manganese (C-Mn) No branding lines 200 – 240
usage.
220 Carbon-manganese (C-Mn) 220 – 260
Grade 260 is the most widely used grade BS11 Normal Grade
in Europe. However, its use by NR has
been restricted, with limited installations 260 Carbon-manganese (C-Mn) 260 – 300
at switches, crossings and curved track. BS11 Grade A (900A)
Grade 350HT (heat-treated) usage had
increased steadily between 1987 and 2000. 260Mn Carbon-manganese (C-Mn) 260 – 300
The arbitrary guideline for this grade was Grade B
to deploy it in locations where the life of a
320Cr Alloy (1% Chromium) 320 – 360
Grade 220 rail was expected to be less than
10 years. Although the use of this grade
350HT Carbon-manganese (C-Mn) heat treated 350 – 390
has not been permitted since the Hatfield
Mill heat treated (MHT)
derailment, 350HT rail remains in the
network at several locations.
350LHT Low alloy, heat treated 350 – 390
A 1% Cr steel has also been used in the
past but its use was stopped several years Table 2 Chemical Composition of Rail Grades in use within NR Network
ago.
NR Specifications/wt%
Several other rail steels also exist in the
Grade C Si Mn P S
network. The branding, description and
hardness ranges of all these grades are 220 0.50-0.60 0.20-0.60 1.00-1.25 0.030 max 0.008-0.030
included in Table 1. 260 0.70-0.80 0.20-0.60 0.95-1.25 0.030 max 0.008-0.030
The key aspects of rail metallurgy 350HT 0.70-0.82 0.13-0.60 0.65-1.25 0.025 max 0.008-0.030
discussed here are:
Table 3 NR Specifications for Residual Elements
• Chemical Composition Cr Al N Mo Ni Cu Sn Sb Ti Nb V Cu+10Sn Cr+Mo+
• Steel Cleanness Ni+Cu+V
• Microstructure 220 0.15 0.004 0.008 0.02 0.1 0.15 0.04 0.02 0.025 0.01 0.03 0.35 0.35
260 0.15 0.004 0.010 0.02 0.1 0.15 0.04 0.02 0.025 0.01 0.03 0.35 0.35
• Hardness and Wear Resistance
350HT 0.10 0.004 0.010 0.02 0.1 0.15 0.04 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.03 0.35 0.25
• Tensile Properties
Chemical Composition produces very clean steel with background between the layers of carbide in
All the rail steels currently used by NR cleanness significantly better than the pearlite), for the three grades of rail steel.
have a pearlitic microstructure and the most stringent specifications. Hence Decreasing the interlamellar spacing
strengthening mechanisms employed to the conventional Tache Ovale defects, leads to an increase in hardness. The
achieve the enhanced properties are: originating internally from inclusions, are mechanical properties of pearlitic steels
• Chemistry enrichment through associated with old rails manufactured are also dependent on the prior austenite
higher carbon contents and addition prior to 1976. grain size. The temperature at which the
of alloying elements to increase Microstructure transformation to pearlite takes place
hardenability. controls the pearlite interlamellar spacing,
The only microstructural requirement and this can be controlled by changing
• Accelerated cooling to refine the placed on the three rail grades used the steel composition or by changing the
pearlitic microstructure. within the NR network is that a pearlitic cooling conditions. The prior austenite
Table 2 gives the chemical composition microstructure is maintained. Figure 1 grain size is dependent on the reheating
ranges specified by NR. The specifications shows the microstructures of Grade 220, temperature and/or the temperature at
for residual elements are shown in Table 3. 260 and 350HT rail steels taken at high which deformation finishes in the rolling
magnification using a Scanning Electron process.
Steel Cleanness Microscope (SEM). Continued overleaf
Inclusions act as stress raisers and can The micrographs show the pearlite Continued from previous page
be sites for crack initiation. In the past, interlamellar spacing (i.e. the distance
rails were made from cast ingot and poor
control of casting lead to dirty steel with
numerous large inclusions. Also, rail
steels were aluminium-killed and so often
contained small alumina inclusions. Both
of these practices were stopped decades
ago. Rail steels are now silicon-killed,
and continuous casting is a mandatory
requirement. Modern steelmaking practice Figure 1 SEM images of a)Grade 220, b)Grade 260 and c)Grade 350HT Rail Steels X 5000

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4. Metallurgy of Rail Steels
Grade 220 and 260 steels are naturally 8 8
cooled, while Grade 350HT is controlled
A
cooled. Controlled cooling gives a more 7 B 7
refined microstructure and higher 45° B Grade 220
6 6
hardness. Clearly, any subsequent heating

Average wear, mm

Average wear, mm
(austenitising) of this grade, e.g. during 5 5
weld repair, will not generate the parent
rail microstructure, unless the desired 4 4
cooling rate is achieved.
3 3
Hardness and Wear Resistance
2 2 1% Cr
A
In a steel grade designation, e.g. Grade
220, the number 220 refers to the hardness 1 1
of the steel. This is hardness measured
using the Brinell Test. In this test, a 0 0
0 8 16 24 32 40 0 8 16 24 32 40
tungsten carbide indenter is pressed into Millions of tonnes of traffic, MGT Millions of tonnes of traffic, MGT
the surface of the test piece using an
appropriate specified force. The diameter Figure 2 Measured Wear Rates of Grade 220 and 1% Cr Rail Steels
of the impression so produced is then
measured and the Brinell Hardness years. The greater wear at position B, directly reflect an in-service performance
Number, HBW, derived from the gauge corner, was a primary reason requirement.
HBW = Force/Surface area of impression. for early rail replacement and lead to the
adoption of a harder steel (1% Cr steel), For further information on properties
The focus of rail steel developments has which resulted in a much reduced wear such as rolling contact fatigue, fracture
been towards harder and stronger grades, rate. Further reductions in wear rate have
to give greater wear resistance and longer toughness and weldability, the reader is
been achieved through the use of harder
rail life. The finer microstructure, higher grades such as 350HT. directed to the web site for the full and
hardness and greater wear resistance of unabridged version of this paper.
Grade 260 is a result of the higher carbon Tensile Properties
content compared to that of Grade 220. Table 4 NR Specifications for
Although the direct correspondence Tensile Properties of Rail Steels
Further increases in hardness and wear
between hardness and wear resistance and
resistance are achieved in Grade 350HT Min. UTS
their dependence on the composition of Grade Min. El. %
through controlled, accelerated cooling, (Rm) MNm–2
pearlitic rail steel is widely acknowledged,
since its composition is broadly similar to
tensile properties continue to be included 220 770 12
that of Grade 260. Figure 2 shows actual in rail specifications, as shown in Table
site measurements of wear on Grade 220 260 880 9
4. However, tensile strength does not 350HT 1175 9
rail at Park Junction taken over several

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