STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF ELECTROFRICTIONAL TREATMENT PARAMETERS ON THE MECHANICAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF STRUCTURAL STEELS

This work examines the influence of parameters of electrofrictional processing (current, processing speed) on the mechanical-tribological properties of construction steels 65G and 40Kh. Electrofrictional processing is based on the simultaneous melting of the surfaces of a cast iron electrode and a soil-processing tool blade, achieved by introducing energy through low-voltage electric arcs and cooling with water. The results of the study showed that during electrofrictional processing, the speed of sample movement relative to the rotating electrode affects the thickness of the processed layer.High-speed processing forms a relatively shallow hardening depth and large dimensions of the transition zone (about 1 mm) with a smooth decrease in microhardness. Low-speed processing can result in the formation of microcracks in the deposited layer. Electrofrictional processing of 65G steel with a current of 300 A increases the microhardness of the surface layer three times, while for 40Kh steel, it increases four times, compared to the initial values of 297 HV 0.1 and 238 HV 0.1 , respectively. The wear intensity of 40Kh and 65G steels, hardened by electrofrictional processing with current values of 100 A, 200 A, and 300 A, is 2-3 times lower than that of non-hardened steels, indicating the significant effectiveness of this hardening method in abrasive wear.