Rolling contact fatigue of bainitic rail steels: The significance of microstructure

We elucidate the effect of microstructure on the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) performance of bainitic rail steel via microstructural characterization and simulated field tests. The RCF performance of bainitic rail steel is enhanced through microstructural design and the thin film-like retained austenite plays a significant role on RCF crack propagation.