Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

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Engineering Failure Analysis

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/engfailanal

Analysis of the mechanical properties and wear characteristics of

nail teeth based on sowing layer residual film recovery machine
Zipeng Su a, b, c, Jingbin Li a, b, c, *, Zhiyuan Zhang a, b, c, Sixue Ren a, b, c,
Yameng Shi a, b, c, Xianfei Wang a, b, c
a
College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China
b
Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Machinery Corps, Shihezi, China
c
Key Laboratory of Northwest Agricultural Equipment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shihezi 832003, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: This study aims to address the problem of the arc-shaped nail tooth, a key component in pre-
Nail-teeth sowing film recovery machines, being prone to wear and fracture deformation. To determine
Wear in agricultural machinery its wear and damage mechanism, this paper uses chlorinated butyl rubber and soil particles to
Mechanical properties
simulate the wear environment of the nail tooth. Carbon structural steel (45 steel), spring steel
Fracture
(60Si2Mn), and alloy structural steel (40Cr) are selected for performing friction wear tests and
mechanical property analysis. Detailed failure analysis is performed using scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), three-dimensional (3D) morphology, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectros­
copy (EDS). The results demonstrate that abrasive wear occurred in all samples. #45 steel and
40Cr showed significant plastic spalling during the wear process. 60Si2Mn has the lowest surface
roughness and wear depth at 0.5709 and 2.412 µm, respectively. By combining the micromor­
phological characterization and element content changes of these samples after wear, the results
demonstrate that the wear and oxidation of 40Cr and #45 steel are more severe than 60Si2Mn.
“River-pattern” fracture and tear ridges were observed in the 40Cr fracture surface, indicating
quasi-cleavage fracture characteristics. 60Si2Mn exhibits multiple ductile dimples, an apparent
ductile fracture mechanism; moreover, #45 steel exhibits good plasticity with no observed
fracture. Based on comprehensive analysis, 60Si2Mn has excellent wear and plastic deformation
resistance. This study provides a reference for selecting the material for the film-picking nail teeth
in mulching film recycling machines.

1. Introduction

The damage caused by the residual film to crops and soil structure can be effectively reduced using mechanized residual film
recycling technology [1], thus making it an essential means for solving the pollution of farmland mulching film and improving the
quality of soil seedbeds [2]. An arc-shaped nail tooth residual film recovery machine is designed for residual film recovery during
sowing, where the critical component, the nail tooth works in abrasive media (e.g., stones, soil, or other hard components) for an
extended period [3]. As the nail tooth surface gradually undergoes wear damage and structural deformation, its service life drastically
decreases, seriously affecting its efficiency in collecting the residual film. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the wear resistance and

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: ljb8095@163.com (J. Li).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106869
Received 30 July 2022; Received in revised form 5 October 2022; Accepted 8 October 2022
Available online 14 October 2022
1350-6307/© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

(caption on next page)

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Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

Fig. 1. (a) Structure diagram of residual film recovery machine, (b) Diagram of actual components (c) show nail tooth (40Cr) wear and defor­
mation fracture.

mechanical properties of the metal material of the nail tooth and determine the material with the best all-around performance.
In terms of metal and soil wear research, Liu [4] explored the wear resistance of the film-picking nail teeth (45 steel) under different
heat treatments. The least wear was observed after quenching at 860 ◦ C and tempering at 150 ◦ C. Yazici [5] analyzed the wear of
plowshares (30MnB5) with multiple heat treatment conditions. Their results demonstrate that 30MnB5 undergoes adhesive and
abrasive wear and that the martensitic tempering process enhances the wear resistance of plowshare (30MnB5). Kostencki et al. [6]
evaluated the soil abrasion resistance of cultivator coulters. They reported that coulters are subject to complex abrasive wear
mechanisms, including microcutting and grooving. Rani [7] investigated the wear mechanism of EN42 agricultural discs with soil and
demonstrated that the three-body wear of EN42 by soil particles was the leading cause of abrasive wear. Furthermore, Kalácska [8]
examined the wear mechanisms of skew wedge cultivator tines of 27MnB5 steel and determined that the primary cause of failure was
the microcutting action during abrasive wear. Tomasz et al. [9] analyzed the effect of wear resistance on different types of coulters and
reported that coulters A (reinforced with sintered-carbide plates) had superior wear resistance. Moreover, the ultimate wear condition
of the coulters was related to the reduced friction or bending strength. Hao et al. [10] added quartz sand to metal samples and rubber
rings via a self-made rotary disc wear tester to simulate the three-body wear environment generated by a metal-soil contact. Their
results signify that the wear surface of 65Mn has large areas of spalling and pits, and surface wear primarily comprises abrasive wear.
The wear and deformation of farm machinery components are often related to the mechanical properties, microstructure, and
tillage depth of the materials employed [11]. As reported in Ref [12], the material used for soil contact should be wear-resistant and
have sufficient strength and toughness to resist impact fracture and deformation. Wang [13] performed a field study on the mechanical
properties of the film-picking nail teeth made of T8, 65Mn, 45 steel, and 40Cr and reported that 45 steel is prone to bending defor­
mation, 40Cr has fracture phenomenon, and 65Mn shows no obvious deformation. To determine the ideal material for the soil-
touching parts of agricultural implements, Bhakat [14] optimally heat-treated and tested low carbon steel (MS), medium carbon
steel, and high-carbon steel (HC) to obtain their mechanical properties. The analysis concluded that HC can be heat-treated to obtain a
suitable hardness (38–45 HRC) under soil conditions, while its wear resistance is optimal, and the impact fracture failure mechanism is
a dimple fracture. Li et al. [15] studied the microstructure and mechanical properties of a sugar beet harvester’s pick-up components
(60Si2Mn) using a comprehensive analysis of their fracture failure, primarily because of fatigue crack sources arising from excessive
stress concentration, and their fracture mechanism is a quasi-cleavage fracture. Furthermore, Rodríguez [16] explored the wear
surface and fracture surface of sugar cane cutting blades using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and they reported that abrasive
wear and brittle fracture were the primary causes of blade failure.
According to the above, certain studies address tribological aspects, and other studies address the failure of important components
of agricultural machinery. There are few studies related to the failure analysis of arc-shaped nail teeth, and lack of comprehensive
studies on the wear resistance and mechanical properties of nail teeth. Furthermore, failure mechanisms have not been determined
when exploring the wear of soil and rubber on metal. This study is based on the failure of the nail tooth of a residual film recycling
machine. The analysis of the wear mechanism of soil and rubber on nail teeth using X-ray energy spectrometry (EDS), three-
dimensional (3D) morphology, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) explains the wear damage that occurs during the picking
process and analyzes the mechanical properties and the fracture morphology of nail teeth composed of different materials. To provide a
theoretical basis for understanding the wear mechanism, fracture mechanism and practical material selection of the arc-shaped nail
tooth.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Prototype structure and working principle

Fig. 1a shows the complete structure of the arc-shaped nail tooth sowing layer residual film recycling machine. Its power is
transmitted to the transmission system through the rear power output shaft of the tractor and then distributed via a transmission
system to the roller device and the de-filming device. The arc-shaped nail tooth is driven by the rotating roller to pick up the small
remnants of film, which are then taken off by the stripping plate, completing the picking up and stripping of the sowing layer of the film
remnants. Inevitably, the arc-shaped nail tooth will wear against the soil and the stripper plate during the operation, thus leading to
deformation and damage. Fig. 1b shows the actual components, and 1c shows the wear and deformation fracture of the nail tooth
(40Cr) after work. Therefore, the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the arc-shaped nail tooth material play an important
role in understanding the working effect of the material used.

2.2. Sample preparation

Three materials were chosen for the experiments, namely, carbon structural steel (45 steel), spring steel (60Si2Mn), and alloy
structural steel (40Cr), which are commonly used in agricultural machinery [4,13,15] for wear component parts and are moderately
expensive. They are named D1, D2, and D3, respectively. Because the chemical compositions of the three materials vary, different heat
treatment methods [17–19] were used to obtain the best overall performance. The heat treatment process is shown in Table 1 and
Fig. 2. Three materials (45 steel, 60Si2Mn, and 40Cr) obtain martensitic structure after quenching, tempered troostite structure after

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Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

Table 1
Material stress relief annealing.
nail-tooth sample Heating Temperature Holding Time Cooling Method

45 steels 740 ± 10 ◦ C 60 min Air cooling

40Cr 850 ± 10 ◦ C 120 min Oil cooling
60Si2Mn 780 ± 10 ◦ C 120 min Oil cooling

Fig. 2. Heat treatment of three metals:(a) D1 (45 steel), (b) D2 (60Si2Mn), (c) D3 (40Cr).

medium-temperature tempering (350–500 ◦ C), and tempered martensitic structure after low-temperature tempering (100–250 ◦ C).
The overall properties (strength, wear resistance, and toughness) of the samples were improved after quenching and tempering the
three materials.

2.3. Mechanical property test

A micro-Vickers hardness tester (HV-1000Z, Chongqing Intech Co., ltd.) was used for hardness testing; the indenter comprised a
diamond quadrangle of 136◦ . Moreover, a 1000 g load was applied with a load time set to 10 s, and the pressure holding time was set to
15 s. The Vickers hardness was measured using the indentation method [20] and was calculated using Eq. (1). The hardness of each
specimen was measured five times to take the average value to reduce the error:
( ◦)
Psin θ2 Psin 1362 1.8544P
HV30 = = = (1)
2a2 2a2 (2a)2
where HV30 is the Vickers hardness (kgf/mm2), P is the indentation load (N), and 2a is the average length of the indentation
diagonal.
Based on the Chinese national standard, “GB/T 232–2010 Bending Test Methods for Metal Materials,” a universal testing machine
(INSTRON 8801 (Shanghai) Test Equipment Trading Co., ltd.) was used to obtain the flexural strength of the nail tooth material using a
three-point bending test. Among them, the specimen size was 150 × 20 × 10 mm, the diameter of the bending indenter was D = 10 mm,
and the support roller span L = 55 mm was obtained using Eq. (2). The test loading rate was 1 mm/s, and the bending test continued
until all specimens failed and fractured. Then, we recorded the maximum force F of the best elastic line segment on the load–deflection
curve. The yield bending flexural strength σ a and the flexural elastic modulus Eb is calculated using Eqs. (3) and (4), respectively [21]:
a
L = (D + 3a) ± (2)
2

3FL
σa = (3)
2bh2

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Fig. 3. (a) Soil sampling area, (b) Determination of soil moisture content, (c) Soil particle size screening.

Table 2
Soil Moisture Statistics Table.
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 Average

6.61% 5.29% 5.50% 5.69% 5.93% 5.81%

FL3
Eb = (4)
4bh3 Y

where a is the thickness of the specimen, F is the maximum yield force (N) in the elastic stage [22], L is the span (mm), b is the width
(mm)of the sample, h is the thickness (mm) of the sample, and Y is the deflection (mm) corresponding to F. The result is expressed as
the arithmetic mean of the calculated values for each group of specimens.

2.4. Wear test

A comprehensive surface tester (CFT-I, Lanzhou Zhongke Kaihua Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.) was used to
perform the wear test on the specimens. The upper specimen was a stripper plate material (chlorinated butyl rubber) with Shore A60
hardness, which was cut into 10 × 10 × 10 mm rectangles and sealed for storage. The lower specimen contained the metal nail tooth
material, and the three metal samples were cut into 60 × 30 × 8 mm dimensions using an EDM wire cutter (SG 5000). Furthermore, the
soil particles in the middle were obtained at the Shihezi 145th Mission test field, and the samples were taken per the Chinese National
Standard (“GB/T 5262–2008 General Provisions for the Determination of Test Conditions of Agricultural Machinery”), with a random
area of 0.7 × 0.7 m, as shown in Fig. 3a. The sampling point location was determined utilizing the five-point sampling method in a
random area, and the soil was collected at a depth of 0–50 mm at the measurement point and was sealed for storage. The water contents
of the soil samples were measured using an electronic moisture meter (MA100Q, Sartorius Group, Germany) and labeled as A1, A2, A3,

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Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

Table 3
Friction test conditions.
Environment Loading force (N) Speed (RPM) Time (min) Length (mm)

Soil / Rubber 130 140 90 5

Fig. 4. Dimensional indentation (a) D1, (b) D2, (c) D3, (d) average hardness value.

A4, and A5, as shown in Fig. 3b. The relevant results are listed in Table 2. Furthermore, the soil particle size was screened using 4- and
10-mesh grading sieves, as shown in Fig. 3c.
Before the experiment, we placed #60, #120, #240, #600, #1000, #1200, #1500, and #2000 mesh round metallographic dry
sandpaper on the double-speed metallographic sample grinding and polishing machine (YMP-2B, Tianjin Metallographic Testing
Technology Co., Ltd.) for fine grinding and polishing of metal samples. We used a 12,500 mesh diamond abrasive paste during the
polishing process. The polished metal specimens were allowed to pass through an ultrasonic cleaning machine (JPS-20B, Shenzhen
Jietai Ultrasonic Cleaning Equipment Co., Ltd.) for oscillation debridement, in which the solution used a concentration of ≥ 99.7%
anhydrous ethanol for a total cleaning time of 4 min. The wear test parameters [23] are shown in Table 3. Each metal material was
tested three times under the same testing environment.

2.5. Characterization

The nail-tooth specimen fracture morphology and wear areas were analyzed using micromorphology. The specimens were cleaned
using an ultrasonic cleaner before characterization. A field emission SEM (Sigma 300, Guangzhou Puchuan Testing Technology Co.,
Ltd.) was used to characterize the bending fracture and microstructure of the samples before and after wear. Additionally, the wear
profiles and depth of the nail tooth specimen were analyzed using an interferometric 3D surface profiler (NANOVEA ST400, Zacklinda
Metrology Equipment Shanghai Co.) An X-ray EDS machine was to analyze the elemental composition of the wear surface.

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Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

Fig. 5. Macroscopic morphology after bending (a) D1, (b) D2, (c) D3, (d) Load-deflection curve; (e), (f) Flexural strength, modulus of elasticity.

Fig. 6. Macroscopic morphology of fracture: (a) D2, (b) D3. Microscopic morphology of fracture: (c) D2, (d) D3.

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Fig. 7. Friction coefficient curve.

3. Discussion

3.1. Mechanical property test

In the current study, the Vickers hardness (HV30) [24] was used to characterize resistance to deformation within a local volume of
the metal surface. The indentations are respectively shown in Fig. 4a, 4b, and 4c. The average hardness values of D1, D2, and D3 were
calculated as 303, 396, and 428 HV, respectively, according to Eq. (1), as shown in Fig. 4d. The hardness of D3 is higher than that of D1
and D2. The higher the strength of the material, the higher the plastic deformation resistance and hardness value [25]. Therefore, the
strength of D1 is lower compared to D2 and D3.
Flexural properties are important process indicators for testing plasticity and are used to characterize a material’s ability to resist
flexure at room temperature. Due to the working environment and functional requirements of nail teeth, they should have superior
flexural strength and toughness to resist the impact and bending loads of surface soil, gravel, and plant roots [13,26]. Otherwise, it may
lead to deformation and breakage of the nail teeth, thereby affecting the engagement between the nail teeth and the stripping plate,
causing damage to the stripping plate, and resulting in a nonfunctional machine.
Fig. 5a, 5b, and 5c display the macroscopic morphologies of the D1 (45 steel), D2 (40Cr), and D3 (60Si2Mn) specimens before and
after the bending strength tests. The D2 and D3 specimens are fractured, while D1 (45 steel) is only bent but not fractured. Fig. 5d
illustrates the bending load versus deflection curves for the three materials. As can be seen, D1 and D2 possess similar curves, although
D2 has a higher maximum bending force than D1. The D2 curve can be divided into three phases separated by dashed lines. The first
phase is called the “elastic phase,” where the load increases linearly with the amount of deformation. The second stage is called the
“plastic stage,” in which the deformation of the material is irreversible. The “third stage” is the fracture stage, where the material
fractures as the load increases and the curve drop linearly. In contrast, D3 is fractured after reaching the maximum elastic yield point
and has no plastic phase. Meanwhile, Fig. 5d demonstrates that D1 does not have a fracture stage. Combined with the macroscopic
morphology, it can be determined that D1 only undergoes bending deformation without fracture due to its superior deformation and
ductility compared to D2 and D3. Therefore, D1 was excluded from the SEM evaluation. D2 and D3 were subjected to a maximum force
greater than D1, which can withstand higher bending stress than D1. However, D3 only fractured at a deflection of 4.65 mm because
there was no plastic deformation, and its ductility was weak. By comparison, D2 exhibits excellent ductility and some resistance to
bending deformation.
Fig. 5e and 5f show the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity values calculated by Eqs. (3) and (4). The flexural strength values
for D1, D2, and D3 are 678.2, 949.75, and 1537.3 MPa, while those for their modulus of elasticity are 272.31, 277.75, and 280.57 GPa,
respectively. The flexural strength of D3 is 2.26 times that of D1 and 1.61 times that of D2. The variation in flexural strength can be
attributed to the differences in the microstructure, in which the finer the microstructure, the higher the strength [27]. It can be seen
that 45 steel (D1) can easily deform and has low flexural properties, while 40Cr has high flexural strength but poor toughness.
Compared with D1 and D3, D2 (60Si2Mn) exhibits plasticity and good flexural strength.
The macroscopic morphologies of the two fractures are shown in Fig. 6a and 6b. As can be seen, the D2 fracture surface is rough,
showing ridges and craters, obvious plastic deformation, and a dark gray section with fibrous fractures. In comparison, the plastic
deformation of D3 is minor, the fracture is relatively straight, the gap between the two fractures is small, the engagement is better, and
the crack tip is sharp. Moreover, SEM images recorded at high magnification show differences in the surface characteristics of room-
temperature fractures while reflecting variations in the original tissue, as shown in Fig. 6c and 6d. The fracture surface of the D2
sample differs from that of the D3 sample. On the D2 fracture surface, micropores and overlapping waves with uneven shapes and sizes
can be seen, consisting of ductile dimples and elongated dimples formed under normal stress. Such formation can be considered a
typical ductile fracture mechanism that can be confirmed by combining it with the macroscopic morphology. A large number of tearing

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Fig. 8. Three-dimensional morphology of the nail tooth specimens: (a) D1, (b) D2, (c) D3, and (d) surface roughness (Sa), surface height difference
(Sz) of the worn specimens.

ridges [28] can be seen in the D3 fracture, and the fracture surface shows a river-like pattern and stepped fracture surfaces [29], with
only a few dimples, which are mixed fracture mechanisms of local cleavage and dimple. This is because of the cleavage plane formed by
the expansion of the cleavage fissure that finally tore in the plastic mode (dimple band). Furthermore, based on Fig. 6b, the D3 fracture
is concluded to be a quasi-cleavage fracture.

3.2. Wear performance test

The coefficient of friction characterizes the resistance to motion during friction between the material and the friction substrate and
reflects its operational stability. Fig. 7 reveals the friction coefficient of the metal material of the nail tooth after interacting with soil
and rubber. All three metals showed brief run-in wear. After the short wear stage, with the increase of wear time, the height of the
surface spike decreases, the radius of the peak increases, and the contact area increases gradually to form stable wear in D1 (45) and D2
(60Si2Mn). Moreover, the friction coefficient is maintained at 0.50,0.51, which has good stability. After the initial interaction between
D3 (40Cr) and soil and rubber, the friction coefficients in the grinding stage show significant variation, demonstrating that D3 is in the
unstable wear stage. Furthermore, the wear curve shows irregular changes and does not stabilize within 30 min. This is due to the early
stage of the movement, the constantly changing wear state, the specimen and the friction sub having Reynolds microscopic sliding, the
small actual contact area, and the serious contact point adhesion. Moreover, it can be seen that D2(60Si2Mn) is more stable in the
three-body friction environment.
Fig. 8a, 8b, and 8c show the 3D views of the local wear marks of D1, D2, and D3, respectively. The maximum wear depths of D1, D2,
and D3 are 4.657, 2.412, and 3.457 µm, respectively. The micro geometries of the wear surface can be characterized by Sa (arithmetic
mean) and Sz (ten-point height mean), which define the wear surface roughness and the height difference between the average peaks
and valleys of the wear surface, respectively. As shown in Fig. 8d, the surface roughness values of D1, D2, and D3 are 0.7897, 0.5709,
and 0.6911 µm, respectively. The corresponding Sz values are 30.514, 18.565, and 22.084 µm, respectively, in which D1 has larger Sa
and Sz values. Wear is a dynamic indentation process to a large extent [30]. This is demonstrated by the local wear 3D maps and data of
D1, D2, and D3, signifying different degrees of wear pits under soil and rubber wear interaction. They also show more obvious cutting

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Z. Su et al. Engineering Failure Analysis 143 (2023) 106869

Fig. 9. Microstructure before wear: (a) D1, (d) D2, (g) D3. Microstructure after wear (b) D1, (e) D2, (h) D3. Wear partial enlargement (e) D1, (f) D2,
(i) D3.

abrasions.
In addition, the surface wear depth and width of D2 are lower than those of D1 and D3, where the maximum wear depth of D2 is
only 51.8% of D1 and 69.7% of D3. The height difference after wear of D2 is 0.6 times higher than that of D1, demonstrating that more
significant deformation damage occurred in D1 and D3. The wear of D2 is insignificant compared to D1 and D3. In the three-body wear
environment, all metal surfaces of the nail tooth show wear damage. The combined data analysis with the mechanical results in Figs. 4
and 5 indicates that soft abrasive wear is produced on the nail-tooth specimens [31]. The higher surface roughness, Sa, of D1 is due to
the relatively low hardness, reduced resistance to plastic deformation, less mutual hindrance between surface micro peaks, and higher
contact stress between soil particles and specimen surface. In particular, the latter changes the surface wear of metal as metal and
rubber abrasives are gradually generated. D2 and D3 have low plastic deformation due to their relatively high hardness. Under low
stress, the soil and rubber particles produce very small rolling and sliding on the two contact surfaces. It can be seen from D2 and D3
that materials with similar hardness may also have different wear-resistance properties [32]. The comprehensive analysis in Figs. 7 and
8 shows that the friction coefficient is proportional to the surface roughness and wear depth. Furthermore, the wear depth and surface
roughness of D2 are smaller, which can be related to the superior plastic wear resistance of D2.
As the nail tooth comes in contact with the soil and rubber friction, this process is accompanied by force and heat generation. In the
real working environment, wear and tear are more complicated as the nail-tooth enters and exits the soil to pick up and remove the
residual film. The microscopic morphologies of the unworn areas shown in Fig. 9a, 9d, and 9 g indicate that the surfaces of the three
materials are relatively smooth without noticeable scratches and cracks. Fig. 9b, 9e, and 9 h display the wear condition of the nail tooth
specimens after the test. By observation, all specimens showed wear with significant plastic deformation and microcutting of the
surface, which is the primary microscopic mechanism of abrasive wear. Due to the high hardness of the material and the interaction
with the abrasive particles, varying numbers and widths of furrows and scar-like scored pits are produced. In addition, soil particles
and abrasive rubber debris makes minor rolling and sliding on the wear surface; this mechanism is also known as three-body abrasive
wear [6].
Further analysis was carried out on the wear marks for an in-depth comparative analysis of the wear of the three nail tooth ma­
terials. Fig. 9c, 9f, and 9i show that the D1 specimen surface is more severely deformed, rougher, and has wider wear marks than the D2
and D3 surfaces. The D1 surface metal flaking, pear grooves, abrasive chips, and particle migration indicate typical abrasive wear and
plastic damage.

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Fig. 10. Wear surface element content: (a) D1, (d) D2, (g) D3. Wear surface element content: (c) D1, (f) D2, (i) D3. Wear surface: (b) D1, (e) D2,
(h) D3.

Compared to D1 and the D3, the wear surface of D2 is smoother, has fewer abrasive chips, and has smaller pear groove width. The
microcutting of abrasive particles generates plastic deformation. In comparison, the D3 pear grooves and incised pits are more frequent
and show obvious extrusion spalling. This is the result of the long-term accumulation of abrasive grains. Under the same wear
environment, D1 and D3 show more severe wear and less resistance to plasticity and wear. Based on Figs. 7–9, the material resistance
to plasticity is inversely proportional to the depth of abrasion marks, friction coefficient, surface roughness, and proportion with
hardness during the wear process. D2 has better anti-wear and anti-plasticity characteristics to promote the wear mark depth, friction
coefficient, and surface roughness reduction.
Fig. 10 shows the results of the EDS analysis of the three sets of nail tooth specimens. According to the EDS results, it can be seen
that all three materials underwent different degrees of elemental transfer during the wear process. The O (oxygen element), C, and Mn
elements considerably fluctuate. The surface O contents of D1 and D3 are higher than those of D2. D1 and D3 have rough surfaces with
deeper pear grooves and pits formed by flaking. This indicates the occurrence of severe wear and oxidation on the D1 and D3 surfaces,
which increase the surface O (elemental oxygen) content. The content of C atoms on the metal surface also increases, which may be due
to the force and heat generated by wear, leading to the force cracking of the rubber surface chains [33,34]. One of the sp2 hybridization
orbitals of the C atom is occupied by arc electrons to form carbon radicals, which combine with oxygen atoms in the metal oxide layer
to form peroxyl radicals [35]. Along with metal atoms, these will form metal polymers and organometallic compound microparticles
[36]. During the wear process, granular abrasive debris from soil particles, metal polymers, and organometallic compounds is retained
between the friction surface. Their combined action on the metal surface cutting and flaking can cause two processes of metal micro-
corrosion and mechanical wear. Fig. 10c, 10f, and 10i show that the abrasive grains all contain manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), and
nickel (Ni) and that the contents of D1 and D3 are higher than that of D2. This confirms the occurrence of abrasive and spalling wear
during operation.

4. Conclusion

In this paper, the mechanical and wear properties of arc-shaped nail-tooth comprising different materials were investigated,

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leading to the following conclusions:

(1) The results show that the fracture mechanisms of 60Si2Mn (D2) and 40Cr (D3) were ductile and quasi-cleavage fractures,
respectively. Moreover, 60Si2Mn (D2) exhibited good strength, hardness, and toughness. This gives the nail tooth high resistance to
plastic deformation in complex wear environments. As a result, spring steel nail teeth have excellent overall mechanical properties
compared to other materials.
(2) Compared to 45 (D1) and 40Cr (D3),60Si2Mn (D2) had a flatter wear surface with fewer spalling pits and pear grooves, and the
maximum wear depths were only 51.8% and 69.7% of D1 and D3, respectively. In addition, the minimum O element content on the
surface of 60Si2Mn indicates that the degree of oxidation is much lower than nail teeth made of carbon and alloy structural steels when
oxidation occurs on the surface of the nail tooth material.
(3) 60Si2Mn has better wear resistance and mechanical properties than the other two nail tooth types. 60Si2Mn has the advantages
of moderate price, good economy, easy processing and manufacturing, and can be widely applied in the field of agricultural machinery.
This study provides a reference for improving the service life of the residual film recycler. It provides a reference for the actual
choice of material for the arc-shaped nail teeth of the residual film recycler.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
influence the work reported in this paper.

Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52175240), and the Graduate education innovation
project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XJ2022G083).

References

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