US Patent 7591909 Railroad wheel steels having improved resistance to rolling contact fatigue

Steels having a pearlitic structure and containing 0.65 to 0.80 weight percent carbon, 0.90 to 1.10 weight percent silicon, 0.85 to 1.15 weight percent manganese, 0.001 to 0.030 weight percent phosphorus, 0.009 to 0.013 weight percent niobium, 0.05 to 0.15 nickel, 0.20 to 0.30 weight percent molybdenum, 0.10 to 0.30 weight percent vanadium and 0.005 to 0.040 weight percent sulfur with the remainder of said steel being iron and incidental impurities, can be used to make railway wheels that are particularly resistant to rolling contact fatigue and, hence, shelling.