by abrasive and adhesive wear tests. Wear-induced structural transformations occurring in a thin (1–5
m) sur-face layer were studied by metallographic, electron-microscopic, and X-ray diffraction methods. The abrasive
resistance of the steels was shown to increase with nitrogen content and reach that of the 110G13 Hadfield steel
in the steels containing 0.70–0.83% nitrogen. The room-temperature adhesive wear resistance of the nitrogen-
containing steels is intermediate between those of the austenitic 12Kh18N9 and 110G13 steels. The adhesive
wear resistance of the steels substantially increases (by a factor of 2.7–7.0) with decreasing temperature from
0 to –50°C. The steels studied substantially surpass the high-carbon 110G13 austenitic steel in thermal wear
resistance at increased sliding speeds (3.0 and 4.5 m/s). The nitrogen-containing austenitic stainless steels are
characterized by a decreased friction coefficient (K = 0.25–0.37). The observed tribologic behavior of the steels
was explained based on the results of structural studies.