## 4 Discussion
Particles with an average cross-sectional area exceeding 1 \(\upmu\)m\({}^{2}\), present in samples annealed for 8 and 12 h, effectively improved resistance to abrasive wear, as reflected in the lower mass loss of these samples compared to those annealed for 4 h. A more uniform distribution of particle sizes will improve wear resistance, as supported by the literature [15; 28]. The authors conclude that particles with an average cross-section of less than 0.1 \(\upmu\)m\({}^{2}\) will not play a significant role under conditions of intensive tribological wear. It can be assumed that particles with such small cross-sections can be considered circular. Consequently, the diameter of the smallest particles will be close to or smaller than the interlaminar distance in perlite. This implies that these particles, while within the material, will be encased in pearlitic cementite, which, due to its higher volume fraction, will exert a dominant influence on the wear process. Therefore, an increase in the volume fraction of particles with larger diameters shouldresult in enhanced abrasion resistance. The objective of the heat treatment was to achieve a more uniform distribution of precipitates in the material [17; 18; 19]. The application of a high heat-treatment temperature within the austenitic range resulted in the gradual dissolution of carbides until the thermodynamic equilibrium of the austenite + secondary cementie system was reached. Subsequently, the material was cooled at a slow rate, which resulted in the precipitation of excess carbon and alloying elements from the austenite. Given the potential for diffusion over longer distances, it is plausible that these elements may have contributed to an increase in the average diameter of the carbides already present in the material, thereby facilitating their growth. This phenomenon may account for the observed reduction in the volume fraction of precipitates in the material. The parameter Vv, which describes the average volumetric share of precipitates, was assessed by calculating the ratio of the area occupied by carbides to the total area of the test area. A reduction in the number of carbides observed in the randomly selected 10 test areas directly affects this parameter. Furthermore, in variant 8 h, it was observed that a significant percentage of carbides with an average cross-sectional area exceeding 1 \(\mu\)m\({}^{2}\) resulted in an increase in the mean value of the carbide cross-sectional area, as illustrated in Table 4. The material's microstructure, consisting of ferrite and cementie precipitates with a plate-like morphology, also affects wear resistance by effectively countering abrasive wear and accumulating energy through plastic deformation. Changes in the material's microstructure also impact its hardness. The relationship between the hardness of the samples and the annealing time is shown in Figure 7.  
It can be observed that samples annealed for 4 h exhibit lower hardness compared to those annealed for 8 and 12 h. The changes in the material resulting from the annealing process have influenced its hardness, thereby enhancing its wear resistance. In particular, the significant increase in the proportion of larger carbides in the overall study population improved the wear resistance of the material. It also effectively strengthened the material by increasing its hardness. Therefore, achieving a possible homogenization of the carbide distribution within the material is crucial.