Rolling Contact Fatigue Damage Behavior of U75V Material after Laser Solid-state Phase Transition

WANG Yanjie; WANG Liang; ZHANG Shuyue; DING Haohao; WANG Chunchang; ZHANG Qunli; WANG Wenjian; LIU Qiyue

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.19.011

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Surface Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (19) : 127-142. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.19.011

Laser Surface Modification Technology

Rolling Contact Fatigue Damage Behavior of U75V Material after Laser Solid-state Phase Transition

WANG Yanjie¹, WANG Liang², ZHANG Shuyue¹, DING Haohao¹, WANG Chunchang³, ZHANG Qunli², WANG Wenjian¹, LIU Qiyue^1,*

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Abstract

In order to improve the wear resistance and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) performance of railway turnouts which often suffer from severe damage due to their complex geometry and intense dynamic interaction with train wheels, a laser solid-state phase transition technique will be applied to U75V material. This method, although proven effective in enhancing surface properties in other materials, has not yet been systematically investigated for railway turnout applications. The work aims to explore the feasibility of applying this technology in turnout rails and provide theoretical support for the application of laser solid-state phase transition of U75V material in turnouts. A comprehensive experimental approach was employed to evaluate the microstructural evolution, hardness distribution, and RCF resistance of U75V material after laser solid-state phase transition under different overlap ratios.
A series of samples were processed through controlled laser treatment to induce phase transition, resulting in the formation of distinct hardened zone and softening zone. Microstructural characterization revealed that the hardened zone primarily consisted of needle-like martensite, whereas the softened region exhibited tempered martensite. The treated surface exhibited a significant increase in microhardness. The hardened zone reached approximately 800HV0.2, representing a 136% increase over the untreated U75V(339HV0.2), while the softening zone averaged around 650HV0.2, which was between the hardened zone and U75V substrate.
To simulate service conditions of turnouts, a MJP-30A rolling wear and contact fatigue tester was employed under both dry and water conditions. The laser solid-state phase transition U75V samples demonstrated substantial improvements in wear and plastic deformation resistance. After 10 000 revolutions in dry state, the wear volume was reduced by 26.3% compared to the untreated samples. Additionally, the depth of plastic deformation layers in hardened zone and softening zone decreased by 97.7% and 95%, respectively. These results confirmed the enhanced structural integrity of the treated surface under repeated rolling-sliding contact.
In fatigue test, untreated U75V samples showed severe crack propagation and early-stage spalling under water-lubricated conditions, with notable damage occurring at just 5 000 cycles. In contrast, the laser-treated samples exhibited delayed fatigue damage initiation and a different damage mechanism. At lower cycle counts, microcracks in the hardened zone remained fine and dispersed, while the softened zone presented dense, shallow multi-layer cracks confined near the surface. With extended cycles (up to 130 000), fatigue spalling was observed in both zones. However, surface microcracks in the softened region were gradually removed by abrasion, and a portion of them continued to expand downward and form branch cracks.
This study demonstrates that laser solid-state phase transition significantly improves the fatigue endurance and wear resistance of U75V material. The formation of tailored martensitic microstructures and the gradient hardness profile between hardened and softened zones effectively suppress plastic deformation and delay fatigue crack propagation. These findings provide new insights into damage control mechanisms in laser-treated turnout components and also offer experimental basis and theoretical foundation for the application of laser solid-state phase transition U75V material in turnouts.

Key words

laser solid-state phase transition / U75V material / microstructure / plastic deformation / rolling contact fatigue

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WANG Yanjie, WANG Liang, ZHANG Shuyue, DING Haohao, WANG Chunchang, ZHANG Qunli, WANG Wenjian, LIU Qiyue. Rolling Contact Fatigue Damage Behavior of U75V Material after Laser Solid-state Phase Transition[J]. Surface Technology. 2025, 54(19): 127-142 https://doi.org/10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.19.011

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Funding

National Key Research and Develop Program (2023YFB4603400); National Natural Science Foundation of China (52320105007); Sichuan Province Innovative Talent Funding Project for Postdoctoral Fellows (BX202420); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2682024CG007)