Alloy for high-stress gouging abrasion

A manganese steel alloy having a heat-treated microstructure comprising:

• (a) an alloy composition of:
• manganese:
• 12 to 30 wt %;
• carbon:
• 1.0 to 2.0 wt %;
• chromium:
• more than 5 wt % and less than or equal to 7 wt %;
• molybdenum:
• 0.0 to 3.0 wt %;
• and
• iron and impurities:
• balance;
• (b) an austenitic ferrous matrix;
• and
• (c) formed refractory particles dispersed throughout the austenitic ferrous matrix such that ≥10 wt % of the formed refractory particles are located within crystallites of the austenitic ferrous matrix, as opposed to being located at grain boundaries between the crystallites;
• wherein the formed refractory particles are chromium rich carbides, and wherein the impurities include one or more of silicon≤1.00 wt %, sulphur≤0.20 wt %, nickel≤0.15 wt %, boron≤0.10 wt %, tungsten≤0.10 wt %, phosphorus≤0.05 wt %, copper≤0.05 wt %, titanium≤0.05 wt % and vanadium≤0.05 wt %.