Special purpose composite materials for wheel-rail contact

Abstract

The paper deals with special-purpose friction materials for the contact «wheel-rail», designed to improve the adhesion of the locomotive wheels with the rails, reducing the resistance to the movement of the impact on the track, increasing the rolling stock wheels and rails resource. The authors used the generalized world and native experience in the application of existing and developed devices designed for the activators and modifiers applying in the contact zone «wheel-rail», as well as test results. The requirements to the methods of physical and chemical properties testing, to the values of the main indicators of physical, chemical and mechanical properties of friction activators and modifiers are presented, the requirements of the modifier and friction activator resource and friction coefficients from their application are substantiated. Needs to values of operational characteristics of activators and modifiers of friction which are established by results of field and operational tests carried out by special programs and techniques have been formulated.