Bitumen Treatment and the Mechanical Properties of Bicycle Axle : Bitumen, heat treatment, Mechanical Properties, Wear

The effect of bitumen treatment on the wear and mechanical properties of the common bicycle axle have been studied and presented in this book. Bicycle axles were subjected to a conventional hardening process, water quenched and tempering, and an unconventional heat treatment process, austempering in bitumen. Bitumen being highly viscous, with low specific heat capacity and very rich in carbon content gave carbon steel a better combination of hardness, tensile strength and impact strength. The resistance of the bicycle axles to wear was greatly enhanced by austempering in bitumen without altering the design of the bicycle, the lubricating system or the composition of the axle. It is hoped that the findings in this work would help bicycle axle manufacturers in producing axles with higher resistance to wear at lower cost.