Key features of high-manganese steel

High-manganese steel (HMS) was invented in 1882 by the British metallurgist Sir Robert Hadfield and successfully tested on railway tracks. Thanks to its excellent toughness and remarkable work-hardening capability under impact, it remains widely used today in applications subjected to high-impact and severe wear conditions—such as railway crossing components, rock-handling equipment, rolling mill frames, crushing walls in cone crushers, lining plates for wet grinding mills, and large crusher hammerheads. Depending on variations in its composition, including manganese (Mn) and carbon (C), high-manganese steel boasts a range of superior properties: high strength, exceptional low-temperature toughness, outstanding wear resistance, non-magnetic characteristics, and excellent damping capabilities—making it an ideal material for diverse industrial applications.
Typically used high-manganese steels include standard high-manganese steel (GX100Mn13, GX110MnMo13-1, GX120MnCr13-2, GX120MnNi13-3, with manganese content ranging from 11.0% to 14.0%), medium-manganese steel (GX120MnMo7-1, featuring carbon content between 1.05% and 1.35%, manganese levels of 6% to 8%, and molybdenum content from 0.9% to 1.2%), and ultra-high-manganese steel (GX120Mn18, GX120MnCr18-2, with carbon content between 1.05% and 1.35% and manganese content ranging from 16.0% to 19.0%). Additionally, there’s GX90MnMo14 (carbon content: 0.70% to 1.0%, manganese content: 13.0% to 15.0%, molybdenum content: 1.0% to 1.8%). The typical Mn18 ultra-high-manganese steel is developed by increasing the manganese content further beyond the base Mn13 grade, which enhances the stability of the austenitic structure and prevents carbide precipitation. This, in turn, significantly boosts the steel’s strength, ductility, and work-hardening capabilities. Ultra-high-manganese steels are also preferred for thick castings that demand exceptional toughness. Meanwhile, medium-manganese steel is ideal for applications involving low-impact forces.