Wear Life of HARDOX 400 Steel

The wear life of HARDOX 400 steel is one of the primary reasons it is widely used in heavy-duty, abrasion-intensive industries. Engineered as a high-strength quenched and tempered wear-resistant steel, HARDOX 400 steel delivers a significantly longer service life compared to conventional structural steels. Its durability is determined by a combination of hardness, toughness, and a highly refined microstructure.
With a nominal hardness of around 400 HBW, HARDOX 400 steel effectively resists material loss caused by sliding, gouging, and impact abrasion. Hardness plays a crucial role in slowing down the wear rate by reducing the depth of abrasive penetration into the steel surface. This directly extends the lifespan of components such as bucket liners, dump truck bodies, crusher plates, and conveyor chutes.
The steel's martensitic microstructure is another essential factor in enhancing wear life. This tightly packed, fine-grained structure provides consistent hardness throughout the plate thickness, ensuring uniform wear rather than localized weak points. Alloying elements such as chromium, manganese, and boron further increase hardenability, helping the steel maintain its hardness even under continuous impact and friction.
In addition to its abrasion resistance, HARDOX 400 steel maintains a high level of toughness, which prevents cracking and premature failure under dynamic loads. This toughness ensures that the plate can withstand repeated impacts without losing structural integrity—an important contributor to long-term durability in mining, construction, and recycling applications.