If your business relies on equipment that faces constant wear—like mining crushers or construction bulldozers—you know how expensive frequent part replacements can be. XAR400 wear resistant steel is built to solve this problem. It’s tougher, more durable, and designed for extreme abrasion, making it a top choice for industries that need long-lasting, low-maintenance materials. In this guide, we’ll break down its properties, real-world uses, manufacturing process, and how it compares to other options—so you can make informed decisions for your equipment.
1. Material Properties of XAR400 Wear Resistant Steel
XAR400’s performance starts with its carefully engineered material properties. Every component, from its chemical makeup to its mechanical strength, is designed to resist wear while staying tough.
Chemical Composition
The alloy mix of XAR400 gives it its unique strength and durability. Below is a typical breakdown (varies slightly by manufacturer):
- Carbon (C): 0.22–0.26% (enhances hardness without making the steel too brittle)
- Manganese (Mn): 1.20–1.60% (boosts tensile strength and impact resistance)
- Silicon (Si): 0.30–0.70% (helps remove oxygen during production, improving purity)
- Chromium (Cr): 1.00–1.40% (a key element for abrasion resistance and mild corrosion protection)
- Molybdenum (Mo): 0.20–0.30% (increases high-temperature strength and toughness)
- Nickel (Ni): 0.30–0.50% (enhances low-temperature impact resistance, perfect for cold environments)
- Other alloying elements: Small amounts of vanadium and niobium to refine the steel’s structure.
Physical Properties
These properties affect how XAR400 handles heat, weight, and magnetism—critical for manufacturing and installation:
| Physical Property | Typical Value |
| Density | 7.85 g/cm³ (same as most steels, easy to calculate weight for design) |
| Thermal conductivity | 44 W/(m·K) (at 20°C, helps dissipate heat in high-use parts) |
| Thermal expansion coefficient | 13.6 × 10⁻⁶/°C (20–100°C, minimizes warping when heated/cooled) |
| Specific heat capacity | 465 J/(kg·K) (at 20°C, efficient at absorbing and releasing heat) |
| Magnetic properties | Ferromagnetic (responds to magnets, easy to handle with lifting tools) |
Mechanical Properties
The mechanical properties of XAR400 are what make it stand out for heavy-duty use. It balances hardness with flexibility, so it resists wear and handles impacts:
- Tensile strength: 1,300–1,500 MPa (can withstand extreme pulling forces without breaking)
- Yield strength: ≥ 1,100 MPa (resists permanent deformation under heavy loads)
- Hardness: 380–420 HBW (Brinell Hardness) / ~39 HRC (Rockwell Hardness) / 400–440 HV (Vickers Hardness) – hard enough to resist deep scratches and abrasion.
- Impact toughness: ≥ 30 J at -40°C (won’t crack in cold weather, ideal for outdoor mining or construction)
- Fatigue strength: ~600 MPa (resists damage from repeated loads, like a shovel hitting rocks thousands of times)
- Abrasion resistance: 4–6 times higher than standard structural steel (cuts down on part replacements drastically).
Other Properties
- Corrosion resistance: Moderate resistance to rain, moisture, and mild chemicals (works well in outdoor or damp sites like mines).
- Weldability: Good weldability with proper preheating (150–250°C) – easy to join to other steels for custom parts like hoppers or chutes.
- Machinability: Machinable with carbide tools (can be cut, drilled, or shaped to fit specific equipment needs).
- Hardenability: Excellent – the steel maintains its hardness even in thick sections (critical for large parts like crusher liners).
2. Applications of XAR400 Wear Resistant Steel
XAR400’s combination of abrasion resistance and toughness makes it versatile across industries. Below are its most common uses, with examples of how it solves real problems.
Mining Industry
Mining equipment faces some of the harshest wear—from sharp rocks to heavy ore. XAR400 is used for:
- Excavator buckets: A copper mine in Canada replaced standard steel buckets with XAR400. Bucket life jumped from 4 months to 14 months, saving $12,000 per bucket in replacements.
- Shovel teeth: XAR400 teeth resist chipping and wear, even when digging through hard granite.
- Crusher liners: Liners made from XAR400 last 3x longer than standard steel, reducing downtime for liner changes.
Construction Industry
Construction sites demand materials that can handle rough terrain and heavy loads. XAR400 is used for:
- Bulldozers: A construction firm in Texas used XAR400 for bulldozer blades on a road project. The blades lasted 18 months instead of 6, cutting replacement costs by 66%.
- Loaders: Loader buckets made from XAR400 handle gravel, concrete, and debris without wearing thin.
- Dump trucks: XAR400 is used for dump truck beds to resist wear from loose materials like sand or rocks.
Agricultural Industry
Farm equipment deals with soil, stones, and crop residue—all of which cause wear. XAR400 works well for:
- Plows: XAR400 plow shares resist wear from rocky soil. A farm in Iowa reported plows lasted 3 seasons instead of 1, saving $800 per plow.
- Harrows: Harrow tines made from XAR400 stay sharp longer, improving soil preparation.
- Combine harvesters: XAR400 is used for combine parts like thresher drums, which face constant abrasion from crops.
Recycling Industry
Recycling equipment processes metal, plastic, and glass—materials that quickly wear down standard parts. XAR400 is used for:
- Shredders: A recycling plant in Germany used XAR400 for shredder rotors. Rotor life increased from 2 months to 8 months, reducing downtime by 75%.
- Crushers: XAR400 crusher jaws handle metal scrap without deforming or wearing out.
- Conveyors: Conveyor belts and skirting made from XAR400 resist wear from moving recyclables.
Industrial Applications
Beyond these industries, XAR400 is used for:
- Hoppers: Hoppers that hold coal, grain, or cement use XAR400 to prevent abrasion holes.
- Chutes: Material chutes (e.g., in power plants) made from XAR400 avoid clogging and wear.
- Wear plates: XAR400 wear plates are attached to high-wear parts (like mixer drums) to extend their life.
3. Manufacturing Techniques for XAR400 Wear Resistant Steel
The quality of XAR400 depends on strict manufacturing techniques. Every step—from steelmaking to quality control—is designed to ensure consistency and performance.
Steelmaking Process
XAR400 is produced using one of two methods, depending on scale and raw materials:
- Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): Scrap steel is melted in an electric arc furnace, then alloying elements (like chromium and molybdenum) are added to reach the desired composition. EAF is eco-friendly, as it reuses scrap steel.
- Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF): Iron ore is converted to steel, then oxygen is blown through to remove impurities. BOF is faster for large-scale production of XAR400.
Rolling Process
After steelmaking, the metal is rolled to the right thickness:
- Hot rolling: The steel is heated to 1,150–1,250°C and pressed into plates. This gives XAR400 its strength and uniform structure—critical for abrasion resistance.
- Cold rolling: Rare for XAR400 (used only for very thin sheets). Cold rolling improves surface smoothness but can reduce toughness, so hot rolling is preferred for heavy-duty use.
Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is key to XAR400’s hardness and toughness. The process includes:
- Quenching: The steel is heated to 900–950°C, then rapidly cooled in water or oil. This makes the steel hard but brittle.
- Tempering: The quenched steel is reheated to 250–350°C and cooled slowly. This reduces brittleness while keeping hardness—essential for handling impacts.
- Normalizing: Sometimes used before machining to soften the steel slightly, making it easier to cut or drill.
Surface Treatment
To enhance performance, XAR400 may undergo surface treatment:
- Shot blasting: Small metal pellets are fired at the surface to remove rust and create a rough texture (improves paint adhesion if the part needs to be painted).
- Grinding: For parts that need a smooth surface (like chutes), grinding removes imperfections and ensures a tight fit.
- Coating (e.g., paint, galvanizing): Rare for XAR400 (its own corrosion resistance is usually enough), but some users add paint for extra protection in harsh environments.
Quality Control
Every batch of XAR400 goes through strict testing to meet standards:
- Chemical analysis: Tests like spectroscopy check that the alloy composition matches specifications (e.g., correct carbon or chromium levels).
- Mechanical testing: Tensile tests, hardness tests, and impact tests verify tensile strength, hardness, and impact toughness.
- Non-destructive testing (NDT): Ultrasonic or magnetic particle tests find hidden defects (like cracks) without damaging the steel.
4. Case Studies: XAR400 in Real-World Use
Numbers tell the best story. Below are two detailed case studies showing how XAR400 improved performance and saved money.
Case Study 1: Mining Crusher Liners in Canada
- Application background: A copper mine used jaw crushers to break down ore. Standard steel liners wore out every 3 months, requiring 2 days of downtime per replacement (costing \(50,000 in lost production each time). Each liner cost \)10,000.
- Performance improvement: The mine switched to XAR400 liners. The liners lasted 9 months—3x longer than before. Downtime for liner changes dropped to just 2 times per year.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Over 1 year, the mine went from 4 liner replacements (total \(40,000) to 1.3 replacements (total \)13,000). Lost production costs fell from \(200,000 to \)50,000. Total savings: $177,000 per crusher.
Case Study 2: Recycling Shredder Rotors in Germany
- Application background: A recycling plant processed metal scrap using shredders. Standard steel rotors wore out every 2 months, costing $8,000 per rotor and 3 days of downtime per replacement.
- Performance improvement: The plant installed XAR400 rotors. The rotors lasted 8 months—4x longer than standard steel. Downtime dropped to 3 days every 8 months.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Over 1 year, rotor costs fell from \(48,000 (6 rotors) to \)12,000 (1.5 rotors). Lost production costs dropped from \(90,000 to \)22,500. Total savings: $103,500 per shredder.
5. XAR400 vs. Other Wear-Resistant Materials
How does XAR400 compare to other options? Below is a breakdown to help you choose the right material for your needs.
Comparison with Other XAR Wear-Resistant Steels
XAR400 is part of a family of wear-resistant steels (XAR300, XAR500, XAR550). Here’s how they stack up:
| Material | Hardness (HBW) | Tensile Strength (MPa) | Abrasion Resistance | Best For |
| XAR300 | 280–320 | 1,100–1,300 | Moderate | Light to medium wear (e.g., plows, conveyor skirting) |
| XAR400 | 380–420 | 1,300–1,500 | High | Medium to heavy wear (e.g., crusher liners, bulldozer blades) |
| XAR500 | 480–520 | 1,500–1,700 | Very High | Heavy wear (e.g., mining screens, shovel teeth) |
| XAR550 | 530–570 | 1,600–1,800 | Extreme | Ultra-heavy wear (e.g., rock crusher jaws) |
Key takeaway: XAR400 is the sweet spot for most heavy-duty applications. It’s harder than XAR300 (for more wear resistance) but more flexible than XAR500 (so it handles impacts better).
Comparison with Non-Steel Wear-Resistant Materials
Non-steel options like ceramics or polyurethane are sometimes used, but they often lack XAR400’s balance of properties:
| Material | Abrasion Resistance | Impact Toughness | Cost (per m²) | Machinability | Weldability |
| XAR400 Steel | High | Excellent | \(250–\)350 | Good (with carbide tools) | Good |
| Hard-faced overlays | Very High | Moderate | \(400–\)600 | Poor | Difficult |
| Ceramic-lined equipment | Extreme | Poor (brittle) | \(700–\)900 | Very Poor | No |
| Polyurethane linings | Moderate | Good | \(180–\)280 | Fair | No |
Key takeaway: XAR400 offers the best balance of abrasion resistance, toughness, and cost. Ceramics are harder but break easily; polyurethane is cheaper but wears out faster. XAR400 is the most reliable choice for long-term use.
Yigu Technology’s View on XAR400 Wear Resistant Steel
At Yigu Technology, we recommend XAR400 to clients in mining, construction, and recycling because it solves their biggest pain point: unplanned downtime from worn parts. Its high abrasion resistance and excellent impact toughness mean parts last 3–4x longer than standard steel, cutting maintenance costs by 50–70%. We also value its weldability—we can fabricate custom hoppers, chutes, or wear plates quickly, getting clients back to work faster. For businesses that need durability without sacrificing flexibility, XAR400 is the gold standard.
FAQ About XAR400 Wear Resistant Steel
- Can XAR400 be used in cold environments?
Yes! XAR400 has an impact toughness of ≥30 J at -40°C, so it won’t crack or become brittle in freezing temperatures. It’s ideal for cold-region mining or winter construction projects.
- What thicknesses is XAR400 available in?
XAR400 is typically sold in thicknesses from 4 mm to 120 mm. Thicker plates (50+ mm) are used for heavy parts like crusher liners, while thinner plates (4–20 mm) are for wear plates or chutes.
- Do I need special tools to machine XAR400?
Yes—XAR400’s high hardness means you’ll need carbide tools (instead of high-speed steel) for cutting, drilling, or grinding. Using carbide tools ensures clean cuts and prevents tool wear.
