Improvement of Adhesion of the Wheels of the Railway Carriage to the Rails by Means of Supply of the Scale and Magnetite Particles to the Contact Zone

Abstract

The article proposes a method to improve adhesion of the wheels to the rails of the railway carriage by means of supply of abrasive loose materials as an alternative to quartz sand to the zone of their contact: metal scale (Fe₃O₄) being the waste of rolling and forging, as well as the iron oxide—magnetite (FeO · Fe₂O₃) of the natural origin. The comparative assessment of efficiency of use of scale and magnetite was carried out in relation to quartz sand traditionally used for railway transport. The adhesion coefficient and wear intensity are used as comparison criteria.