High Manganese Steel Liner Plates: Material Composition, Heat Treatment Process & Applicable Working Conditions

High manganese steel liner plates (Hadfield steel, ZGMn13 series) are the most widely used wear-resistant cast parts for mining, cement, aggregate, metallurgy and coal industries. Unlike alloy cast iron with high hardness but poor toughness, high manganese steel features unique work-hardening performance: its surface forms a hardened layer under strong impact extrusion while the core maintains excellent toughness, avoiding cracking, fracture and early failure under heavy load. This article systematically introduces chemical composition, core water toughening heat treatment process, applicable equipment and matched working conditions to help global buyers select the right liner plates and reduce operation replacement costs.
1. Material & Chemical Composition of High Manganese Steel Liners
1.1 Standard Base Grade ZGMn13 (X120Mn12 / 1.3401)
Standard chemical composition (weight percentage):
Carbon (C): 0.90%–1.50%
Manganese (Mn): 10.0%–15.0%
Silicon (Si): 0.30%–1.00%
Sulfur (S): ≤0.05%
Phosphorus (P): ≤0.10%
Carbon and manganese are the core functional elements: high manganese stabilizes austenite matrix; moderate carbon improves wear resistance, while excessive carbon precipitates brittle carbides at grain boundaries and reduces impact toughness.
1.2 Optimized Alloy Modified Grades for Harsh Conditions
ZGMn13Cr2: Add 1.5%–2.5% chromium, refine grain structure, strengthen carbide dissolution, improve anti-corrosion and anti-abrasion, ideal for hard rock, iron ore, wet grinding environments
ZGMn17 Ultra-high Manganese Steel: Mn content up to 16%–19%, ultra-high impact toughness, suitable for extra-large crushers and heavy-duty SAG mills with super strong impact load
Rare earth modified ZGMn13: Purify molten steel, eliminate casting pores and shrinkage, extend service life by 15%–25% compared with ordinary Mn13 liners
1.3 Core Mechanical Properties After Qualified Heat Treatment
Matrix hardness (original state): HB170–230
Work-hardened surface hardness under impact: HB500–600
Impact toughness: ≥150 J/cm², no brittle fracture under heavy blow
Good plasticity, no magnetism, can bear repeated strong impact extrusion
2. Core Heat Treatment Process: Water Toughening (Solution Quenching)
As-cast high manganese steel contains massive network carbides along grain boundaries, showing severe brittleness, easy to crack under slight impact and cannot be put into service. Water toughening heat treatment is the mandatory key process to activate all wear-resistant properties of manganese steel liners.
2.1 Complete Standard Water Toughening Technical Flow
Segmented slow heating to avoid thermal crack
Room temperature → 680℃: heating rate 80–100℃/h, hold 1.5h at 680℃ to eliminate casting internal stress, prevent thick liner thermal cracking
680℃ → 1050–1100℃: heating rate 120℃/h, continuous heating without pause
High-temperature insulation (critical step)
Hold at 1050–1100℃ for sufficient time according to liner thickness:
Thickness ≤50mm: hold 2–2.5h
Thickness 50–100mm: hold 3–4h
Purpose: Fully dissolve all carbides into austenite to obtain uniform single-phase austenite matrix
Rapid water quenching (strict time limit)
Transfer time from furnace to cooling pool ≤30 seconds
Cooling water initial temperature ≤30℃, total water volume ≥10 times the total weight of liners
Keep swinging the hanger during cooling to ensure uniform cooling speed ≥30℃/s
Finish cooling until liner temperature drops below 200℃, maximum water temperature after quenching cannot exceed 60℃
Natural air cooling after water quenching, no secondary tempering
2.2 Forbidden Working Temperature Range & Common Defects
Do not use liners under continuous working temperature of 250–500℃: carbides will precipitate again along grain boundaries, liner becomes brittle and easy to crack
Unqualified heat treatment consequences: insufficient insulation → residual carbides; slow quenching → partial carbide precipitation; both lead to short service life, edge chipping and liner breakage during operation
3. Applicable Equipment & Matching Working Conditions
High manganese steel liners rely on impact load to realize surface work hardening, so they are only suitable for medium & high impact wear conditions. The lower the impact force, the weaker the self-hardening effect, and the worse the wear resistance performance. We classify applicable scenarios by equipment and material hardness for customer reference:
3.1 Fully Applicable High-impact Working Conditions (First Choice for ZGMn13 Series)
Crushing Equipment
Jaw crusher: fixed jaw plate, movable jaw plate
Working condition: Primary crushing of large lump materials, strong squeezing + impact load
Suitable materials: limestone, bluestone, coal gangue, iron ore, granite, basalt
Impact crusher: impact liner, apron plate
Working condition: High-speed material impact, heavy repeated blow
Cone crusher liner & mantle: medium and fine crushing of hard rock lump ore
Hammer crusher hammer lining, grate plate
Grinding Equipment
Ball mill / rod mill / SAG mill first bin (coarse grinding zone)
Working condition: Large steel ball falling impact + material extrusion friction
Applicable industries: Iron ore concentrator, gold mine, cement raw material mill, quartz sand plant
Feature: Large feed particle size, strong impact force, manganese steel liner continuously self-hardening to extend service life
Mine hopper, chute, transfer bin liner: bulk material falling impact wear
3.2 Conditionally Applicable Scenarios (Alloy Modified ZGMn13Cr2 Recommended)
Wet grinding with slurry corrosion: iron ore, manganese ore, copper ore flotation mills
Medium-hard abrasive materials: river pebble, sandstone, bauxite
Medium impact secondary crushing, medium grinding bin with small steel balls
3.3 Not Recommended Low-impact Working Conditions
Pure fine grinding second bin of ball mill, ultra-fine powder grinding, low-friction silo lining without material falling impact: insufficient impact force cannot form hardened layer, manganese steel liner wears fast; high chromium cast iron or composite wear-resistant liners are more cost-effective for these scenarios
3.4 Material Hardness Matching Reference
Medium-hard materials (compressive strength ≤150MPa): limestone, coal, dolomite → standard ZGMn13 liner, lowest procurement cost
Hard rock (compressive strength 150–300MPa): granite, iron ore, bluestone → ZGMn13Cr2 alloy manganese steel liner
Superhard abrasive rock (basalt, quartzite, high silicon ore): ultra-high manganese ZGMn17 or bimetallic composite liners
4. Advantages & Limitations of High Manganese Steel Liners
Core Advantages
Outstanding impact resistance: No sudden fracture even under large lump ore impact, reduce equipment shutdown risk caused by liner breakage
Dynamic self-hardening: The heavier the impact load, the harder the surface, longer service life
Good processing performance: Can be cut, welded and drilled for on-site installation adjustment
Cost advantage: Lower unit price than high chromium alloy cast iron and composite wear-resistant parts, suitable for mass procurement in large mines
Stable casting performance: Mature production process, customizable size, tooth shape, lifting holes and mounting holes per equipment drawing
Limitations
Poor wear resistance under low impact, pure friction conditions
Cannot work for a long time under 250–500℃ continuous high temperature
Initial surface hardness is low, wear speed is fast in the early running-in stage
5. Customization & Service Support
Our factory produces full series high manganese steel wear liners including standard ZGMn13, Cr-alloy modified Mn13, ultra-high Mn17 grades.
Custom service: OEM liner plates for all models of jaw crusher, cone crusher, impact crusher, ball mill, SAG mill
Technical support: Provide material test report, heat treatment process certificate, non-destructive UT/MT flaw detection report
Solution matching: According to your equipment model, material hardness, feed particle size and impact intensity, recommend the most cost-effective manganese steel grade and liner structure to reduce your annual replacement cost
Conclusion
The performance of high manganese steel liner plates is jointly determined by material formula and complete water toughening heat treatment. Correct selection must combine equipment impact intensity and material hardness: ZGMn13 series is the optimal cost-effective solution for all heavy impact crushing and coarse grinding working conditions. If you are troubled by frequent liner fracture and fast wear, contact our technical team for professional working condition matching and customized wear-resistant liner solutions.