Abstract: A method for preparing an austempered, work-hardening steel casting. A melt with certain chemical ranges including relatively high carbon and silicon content is poured, heat treated, cooled, austenitized, quenched and austempered, before final cooling to room temperature. This process provides a steel casting with increased wear life, characterized by a duplex microstructure containing ferrite plus carbon in solution in austenite known as ausferrite. The austenite will transform during abrasive service to a hard, wear-resistant martensite on the surface.