Work Hardening increases the hardness of a steel by hammering, rolling, drawing or other physical processes. In other words, hit it once and it gets hard. Hit it again and it gets even harder. If you keep hitting it, it will get harder and harder until fracture occurs.

What Causes Work Hardening in Wear Steel?

Work Hardening is a result of Plastic Deformation which means altering the crystal structure of the steel. Or to put it more scientifically, stretching and then breaking the bond between atoms and rearranging them. Nearly all steels can be work hardened to a small degree.

Most wear steels are produced to a high hardness primarily through “heat treatment” (i.e.” as delivered” hardness level of 400, 500 or 600 Brinell) or BHN. They are very brittle and almost impossible to form and process before they crack.

Why Should Wear Steel Work Harden?

One of the reasons the ideal wear steel should work harden is so that it can be produced with an “as delivered” relatively low hardness, thereby allowing easier machining, bending, and forming. But in service, the steel will get harder and harder.

Does Titus Manganese Wear Steel Work Harden?

TITUS MANGANESE starts with a relatively low hardness of 250 BHN and therefore can be processed or formed to various parts. When in service and with impact, it will Work Harden to 550 BHN, almost double its initial hardness. This is why it is a superior wear steel in applications where there is impact such as shot blast cabinets.

How do ENDURA and ENDURA Dual Wear Steels Measure Up?

ENDURA and ENDURA Dual with titanium carbides, start with a higher initial hardness of approximately 430 BHN but can still be processed and formed into parts. With impact, they both will Work Harden to 550-560 BHN, an increase of almost 30%. They are ideal for many mining and quarry application such grizzly decks, screens, and liners.

To find out more about our wear steel products and to receive a personalized quote, contact us today.