What are the commonly used materials for broken walls? How to choose?

The crushing wall is the core wear-resistant component (also known as the dynamic cone liner) of the cone crusher, which directly participates in the material laminating and crushing operation. Its material properties directly affect the stability of equipment operation, maintenance costs, and production continuity. Based on practical application scenarios in industries such as mining and building materials, this article summarizes the characteristics of mainstream materials for broken walls and provides a scientific selection logic from the dimensions of working conditions, materials, and equipment, providing reference for practical selection.

1、 Common materials and characteristics of broken walls

At present, the materials used for crushing walls are mainly high manganese steel, modified high manganese steel, and high chromium cast iron, with a small amount of alloy steel and composite materials used for special working conditions. The composition and performance differences of various materials are significant.

（1） High manganese steel (traditional mainstream material)

High manganese steel (such as ZGMn13) is the oldest fractured wall material with a manganese content of 10% -15%. Its core characteristics are high toughness and work hardening. Its as cast microstructure is austenitic, with an initial hardness of about HB200. When subjected to strong impact loads, the surface layer will quickly harden to HB500 or above, forming a wear-resistant layer, while the inner layer still maintains good toughness and can resist fracture.

Advantages: Strong impact resistance, suitable for strong impact crushing scenarios of large particle size and high hardness materials; After wear and tear, it can continue to withstand loads and is less prone to sudden fracture failure.

Disadvantages: Insufficient hardening and wear resistance under low impact conditions; The toughness slightly decreases in high-temperature environments.

（2） Modified high manganese steel (the most widely used upgraded material)

On the basis of high manganese steel, alloy elements such as chromium, molybdenum, and titanium are added to form modified models such as Mn13Cr2 and Mn18Cr2, with targeted optimization of performance.

Mn13Cr2: Reduce carbon and manganese content and add chromium element to compensate for the toughness shortcomings of traditional high manganese steel, refine grain size, improve wear resistance, and adapt to the fine crushing scenarios of medium hard materials.

Mn18Cr2: with a manganese content of 16% -19%, after composite metamorphism treatment, its impact toughness and wear resistance are further improved, making it suitable for the hard rock crushing conditions of large and medium-sized cone crushers.

Advantages: Balancing toughness and wear resistance, wide adaptability to working conditions, high cost-effectiveness, it is currently the mainstream choice.

Disadvantage: Under extreme wear conditions, the service life is weaker than that of high chromium cast iron.

（3） High chromium cast iron (special material for high wear conditions)

High chromium cast iron (such as KmTTBCr20, KmTTBCr26) has a chromium content of 12% -26%, a matrix rich in high hardness carbides, and core characteristics of high hardness and strong wear resistance. The initial hardness can reach HRC55-65, and in conditions dominated by abrasive wear, the wear resistance is more than twice that of high manganese steel.

Advantages: Outstanding wear resistance, suitable for fine crushing scenarios of low to medium impact and high abrasive materials; Strong corrosion resistance, suitable for working conditions with humidity and trace amounts of corrosive media.

Disadvantages: Poor toughness, weak impact resistance, prone to cracking and peeling under severe impact; The price is higher than high manganese steel, and the overall cost is higher.

（4） Other materials

Alloy steel, such as chromium molybdenum alloy steel, has a higher initial hardness and better wear resistance than traditional high manganese steel. It is suitable for low to medium impact and cutting wear conditions, but its impact toughness is not as good as high manganese steel.

Composite materials: Based on high manganese steel, hard alloy or ceramic particles are embedded in the working area to balance matrix toughness and surface wear resistance, suitable for special high wear conditions. However, the manufacturing process is complex and the price is relatively high.

2、 Core dimensions for selecting materials for broken walls

The selection of materials for broken walls should follow the principles of working condition adaptation, material matching, and equipment adaptation, combined with comprehensive judgment based on production reality, to avoid single dimensional decision-making.

（1） Select according to working conditions

Strong impact working conditions (primary crushing, large crusher): large feed particle size (≥ 300mm), strong crushing force, frequent impact load. High toughness high manganese steel or modified high manganese steel such as ZGMn13 and Mn18Cr2 are preferred to avoid high chromium cast iron cracking due to impact.

Low to medium impact conditions (medium fine crushing, small crusher): small feed particle size (≤ 150mm), weak impact load, mainly abrasive wear, high chromium cast iron is preferred Mn13Cr2， Improve wear resistance and reduce replacement frequency.

High temperature/corrosive conditions: If the material temperature is high or the environment is humid and contains corrosive media, high chromium cast iron can be selected Mn18Cr2， Balancing heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

（2） Select based on material characteristics

High hardness and strong abrasive materials (granite, basalt, iron ore): High hardness and strong wear resistance, Mn18Cr2 is selected for primary crushing, and KmTTBCr26 high chromium cast iron is selected for medium and fine crushing, balancing toughness and wear resistance.

Low to medium hardness, weakly abrasive materials (limestone, river pebbles, coal gangue): low hardness, low impact, optional Mn13Cr2, high cost-effectiveness, meeting production needs.

High toughness, easily broken materials (soft limestone, coal): with low crushing resistance and light wear, ZGMn13 can be selected to reduce procurement costs.

（3） Select according to equipment specifications and production requirements

Large cone crusher (≥ 200kW): The equipment has a high impact force and is compatible with Mn18Cr2 and ZGMn13 to prevent wall breakage and ensure continuous production.

Small and medium-sized cone crusher (＜ 200kW): with low impact force, suitable for Mn13Cr2 and high chromium cast iron, improving wear resistance and reducing downtime.

High production capacity and low maintenance requirements: Mn18Cr2 and high chromium cast iron are preferred to extend their service life, reduce replacement frequency and maintenance costs.

Limited budget, conventional production capacity: ZGMn13 and Mn13Cr2 are optional, balancing performance and cost.

3、 Precautions for material selection

Avoid blindly pursuing high hardness materials: High chromium cast iron has strong wear resistance but poor toughness, and is prone to failure under strong impact conditions. It needs to be used in conjunction with the working conditions.

Pay attention to the material heat treatment process: High manganese steel needs to undergo water toughening treatment at 1050 ℃, while high chromium cast iron needs to undergo quenching and tempering treatment. Only when the process meets the standard can the material properties be fully utilized.

Adjust based on actual operation and maintenance data: Record the service life and failure modes (wear, cracking, peeling) of broken walls made of different materials, and optimize the subsequent selection plan.