In construction and fabrication, the grade and composition of the steel plate materials used make a huge impact on the final product. Abrasion resistant steel plate is a common steel plate that boasts a harder, tougher quality that lasts about four times longer than ordinary high-strength structural steel plate.
But what makes it tougher, and how do you know when your project requires abrasion resistant steel?
We get this question a lot, so here is the run-down on abrasion resistant steel plate, as well as the differences between hardness levels AR400, AR450, AR500 and beyond.
WHAT IS ABRASION RESISTANT STEEL PLATE?
Abrasion resistant (AR) steel plate is a high-carbon alloy steel plate. This means that AR is harder due to the addition of carbon, and formable and weather resistant due to added alloys.
Carbon added during the formation of the steel plate substantially increases toughness and hardness, but reduces strength. Therefore, AR plate is used in applications where abrasions and wear and tear are the main causes of failure, such as industrial manufacturing, mining, construction and material handling. AR plate is not ideal for structural construction uses like support beams in bridges or buildings.
Some common applications where AR steel is used to help resist material wear and tear include:
Conveyors
Buckets
Dump liners
Construction attachments, such as those used on bulldozers and excavators
Grates
Chutes
Hoppers
HOW THE QUENCHED & TEMPERED PROCESS CREATES AR PLATE
AR material is produced by quenching and tempering forged steel blocks, or ingots. During this process, the grain structure is changed to increase toughness and encourage formability (or, to be less brittle), and results in through-hardening of the material.
Quenching and tempering (Q&T) is a two-part process:
Quenching occurs when steel brought to a high temperature – usually between 1,500-1,650-degrees Fahrenheit – is rapidly cooled with water. This process causes crystal structures to form within the steel, increasing hardness.
Tempering is the process of re-heating quenched steel to a below-critical temperature (around 300-700-degrees Fahrenheit), and then allowing the plate to cool in normal air temperatures.
Reheating the material breaks down the crystal structures formed during the quenching process, while the long cooling allows the crystal structures to refrom – maintaining most of the strength and hardness, but adding to overall ductility.
Related: Exploring Steel Plate Heat Treatment Processes
When mills produced both formable and non-formable steel plate, formable was slightly more expensive. However, diminished demand and more competitive pricing has resulted in the production of formable-only AR steel.
Wear-resisting steel plate product introduction
2021 11/24