Microstructure and properties of carbide free bainite railway wheels produced by programmed quenching

A kind of carbide free bainite steel was used to produce railway wheels. The alloy design, manufacture process, microstructure and behaviours are summarised. The novel steel is distinctively superior in excellent combination of strength and toughness compared with the traditional pearlite type wheel steels. The details of the microstructure of novel steel have been investigated in nanoscale.