Improving Wear and Rolling Contact Fatigue Performance of Railway Rails Using Friction Modifiers and Laser Cladding

The main factors contributing to railway degradation are wear and rolling contact fatigue. To maintain the high standards of rail network operation and the safety of these vital infrastructure, it is essential to develop advanced and efficient maintenance strategies for these high-wearing components. In this thesis, solid lubrication and laser cladding, two state-of-the-art wear prevention and surface engineering techniques, have been systematically investigated using different rail grades. Both techniques were found to successfully alleviate degradation rates, improve tribological and mechanical properties, enhance the structural integrity, and extend the components’ longevity. This makes laser cladding and solid lubrication viable maintenance strategies for the railway industry, which can also be extended to high-wearing components in multitude of other industries.