scholarly journals The Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Bainitic Steel Used for Frogs in Railway Crossovers

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 2147-2151 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Parzych

Abstract This work deals with the effect of heat treatment on a microstructure and mechanical properties of a selected cast steel assigned as a material used for frogs in railway crossovers. Materials used nowadays in the railway industry for frogs e.g. Hadfield cast steel (GX120Mn13) or wrougth pearlitic steel (eg. R260) do not fulfil all exploitation requirements indicated in the UIC (International Union of Railways) Decision No. 1692/96 in terms of train speed that should be reached on railways. One of the possible solution is using a cast steel with bainitic or bainitic-martensitic microstructure that allows to gain high strength properties the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1400 MPa, the tensile yield strength (TYS) of 900 MPa and the hardness of up to 400 BHN. The tested material is considered as an alternative to Hadfield cast steel that is currently used for railway frogs. Results of an experimental analysis of the effect of conducted heat treatment on a microstructure, the volume fraction of retained austenite and mechanical properties of bainitic steel, are shown in this paper. It was found that, the heat treatment leads to a stabilization of retained austenite in grain boundaries area of the primary austenite. Additionally, the heat treatment according to the variant #3 results with an almost 3-times higher impact toughness to that exhibited by material subjected to the other treatments.

2018 ◽  
Vol 941 ◽  
pp. 329-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang Ying Meng ◽  
Lei Jie Zhao ◽  
Fan Huang ◽  
Fu Cheng Zhang ◽  
Li He Qian

In the present study, the effects of ausforming on the bainitic transformation, microstructure and mechanical properties of a low-carbon rich-silicon carbide-free bainitic steel have been investigated. Results show that prior ausforming shortens both the incubation period and finishing time of bainitic transformation during isothermal treatment at a temperature slightly above the Mspoint. The thicknesses of bainitic ferrite laths are reduced appreciably by ausforming; however, ausforming increases the amount of large blocks of retained austenite/martenisite and decreases the volume fraction of retained austenite. And accordingly, ausforming gives rise to significant increases in both yield and tensile strengths, but causes noticeable decreases in ductility and impact toughness.


2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Golanski ◽  
J. Słania

The paper presents a research on the influence of multistage heat treatment with the assumed parameters of temperature and time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-chromium martensitic GX12CrMoVNbN9-1 (GP91) cast steel. In the as-cast state GP91 cast steel was characterized by a microstructure of lath martensite with numerous precipitations of carbides of the M23C6, M3C and NbC type, with its properties higher than the required minimum. Hardening of the examined cast steel contributes to obtaining a microstructure of partly auto-tempered martensite of very high strength properties and impact strength KV on the level of 9-15 J. Quenching and tempering with subsequent stress relief annealing of GP91 cast steel contributed to obtaining the microstructure of high-tempered lath martensite with numerous precipitations of the M23C6 and MX type of diverse size. The microstructure of GP91 cast steel received after heat treatment was characterized by strength properties (yield strength, tensile strength) higher than the required minimum and a very high impact energy KV. It has been proved that GP91 cast steel subject to heat treatment No. 2 as a result of two-time heating above the Ac3 temperature is characterized by the highest impact energy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1932-1940
Author(s):  
Sufyan Naseem ◽  
Enzuo Liu ◽  
Xuefei Huang ◽  
Weigang Huang

The present study aims to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of 0.79 C wt% bainitic steel containing Si and Al by three heat treatment processes: austempering and tempering (B-T), two-step austempering (2S-A) and the austempering-quenching-partitioning (AQP). The optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) were employed to analyze the microstructure of samples. The results demonstrate that the sample subjected to the AQP process exhibited a multiphase microstructure with martensite, filmy retained austenite (RA) and fine bainitic laths. The AQP sample evidenced a high tensile strength of 1705 MPa, yield strength of 1254 MPa, a better total elongation of 16.6%, product of strength and elongation (PSE) of 28 GPa% and the impact toughness of 33 J among all heat treatment processes. The higher strength and toughness could be ascribed to the fine bainitic ferrite as well as an appropriate amount of filmy retained austenite. A fraction of martensite that was formed during the quenching step at 110 °C possibly divided the untransformed austenite into small areas, which could refine the microstructure. EBSD analysis showed that the AQP sample exhibited a higher proportion (64%) of boundary misorientation angle greater than 15° than that of the 2S-A. These high angle boundaries can improve the toughness of steel.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1556
Author(s):  
Zhao Li ◽  
Run Wu ◽  
Mingwei Li ◽  
Song-Sheng Zeng ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
...  

High boron steel is prone to brittle failure due to the boride distributed in it with net-like or fishbone morphology, which limit its applications. The Quenching and Partitioning (Q&P) heat treatment is a promising process to produce martensitic steel with excellent mechanical properties, especially high toughness by increasing the volume fraction of retained austensite (RA) in the martensitic matrix. In this work, the Q&P heat treatment is used to improve the inherent defect of insufficient toughness of high boron steel, and the effect mechanism of this process on microstructure transformation and the change of mechanical properties of the steel has also been investigated. The high boron steel as-casted is composed of martensite, retained austensite (RA) and eutectic borides. A proper quenching and partitioning heat treatment leads to a significant change of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel. The net-like and fishbone-like boride is partially broken and spheroidized. The volume fraction of RA increases from 10% in the as-cast condition to 19%, and its morphology also changes from blocky to film-like. Although the macro-hardness has slightly reduced, the toughness is significantly increased up to 7.5 J·cm−2, and the wear resistance is also improved.


2012 ◽  
Vol 531-532 ◽  
pp. 596-599
Author(s):  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Shang Wen Lu ◽  
Yao Hui Ou ◽  
Xiao Dong Wang ◽  
Ning Zhong

The recently developed “quenching and partitioning” heat treatment and “quenching-partitioning-tempering” heat treatment are novel processing technologies, which are designed for achieving advanced high strength steels (AHSS) with combination of high strength and adequate ductility. In present study, a medium carbon steel containing Nb was subjected to the Q-P-T process, and both the microstructure and mechanical properties was studied. The experimental results show that the Nb-microalloyed steel demonstrates high tensile strength and relatively high elongation. The microstructure of the steel was investigated in terms of scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope, and the results indicate that the Q-P-T steel consist of fine martensite laths with dispersive carbide precipitates and the film-like interlath retained austenite. The orientation relationships between martensite and retained austenite is as well-known Kurdjurmov-Sachs relationship and Nishiyama-Wasserman relationship.


2015 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 1813-1818
Author(s):  
J. Piątkowski ◽  
T. Matuła

Abstract In the paper results of the microstructure and mechanical properties (HB, Rm and R0,2) of AlSi17Cu5 alloy, subjected by solution heat treatment (500ºC/6h/woda) and aging (200ºC/16h/piec) are presented. In next step the alloy was modified and heated significantly above the Tliq temperature (separately and together). It was found that the increase in the strength properties of the tested alloy after heat treatment compared to alloys without solution heat treatment and aging was due to precipitation hardening. The applied aging treatment of ingots (preceded by solution heat treatment), causes not only increase in concentration in α(Al) solid solution, but also a favorable change of the primary Si crystals morphology. During stereological measurements significant size reduction and change in the morphology of hypereutectic silicon crystals ware found. This effects can be further enhanced by overheating the alloy to a temperature of 920ºC and rapid cooling before casting of the alloy.


2012 ◽  
Vol 557-559 ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Jing Qiang Zhang ◽  
Jie Min Du ◽  
Ji Wei Guo ◽  
Shou Fan Rong ◽  
Guang Zhou Wang

The influences of Mn and heat-treatment technology on microstructure and mechanical properties of medium-carbon-low-alloy wear-resistant cast steel were investigated. The results show that the hardness first increases and then drops down with the increase of Mn content, and the best hardness is 54HRC with Mn content 1.5%. The impact toughness first increases and then drops down with the increase of Mn content. The hardness and impact toughness first increase and then drop down with the increases of quenching temperature. The optimal impact toughness can be obtaind by quenching at 920°C and tempering at 200°C. Part of lower bainite and residual austenite and mass of tempered martensite are obtaind after tempering.


2015 ◽  
Vol 740 ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Chuan Xiao Peng ◽  
Wen Chao Cui ◽  
Xiao Yan Yang ◽  
Li Wang

The effect of destabilization at (960°C,1000°C,1050°C) followed by sub-critical heat treatment (SCHT) at (260°C, 450°C, 550°C) on microstructure and mechanical properties of a hypereutectic chromium cast iron containing 31 wt.% Cr was investigated. The response of the microstructure of the specimens differed significantly to heat treatment. With increasing destabilization temperature, the amount of retained austenite increased and it became more stable during following SCHT. The peak values of bulk hardness deceased with increasing destabilization temperature, while higher SCHT was needed to reach the hardness maximum. The hardness and erosion wear property of the specimens destabilization at 960°C or 1000°C deteriorated after SCHT at 550°C due to the formation of ferrite/carbide product, which was not found in the specimens destabilization at 1050°C followed by SCHT at 550°C. The specimen destabilization at 960°C + SCHT at 260°C performed best erosion wear resistance with matrix of martensite containing little austenite.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1228
Author(s):  
Honglin Zhang ◽  
Zhigang Xu ◽  
Laszlo J. Kecskes ◽  
Sergey Yarmolenko ◽  
Jagannathan Sankar

The present work mainly investigated the effect of extrusion temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-1.3Zn-0.5Ca (wt.%) alloys. The alloys were subjected to extrusion at 300 °C, 350 °C, and 400 °C with an extrusion ratio of 9.37. The results demonstrated that both the average size and volume fraction of dynamic recrystallized (DRXed) grains increased with increasing extrusion temperature (DRXed fractions of 0.43, 0.61, and 0.97 for 300 °C, 350 °C, and 400 °C, respectively). Moreover, the as-extruded alloys exhibited a typical basal fiber texture. The alloy extruded at 300 °C had a microstructure composed of fine DRXed grains of ~1.54 µm and strongly textured elongated unDRXed grains. It also had an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 355 MPa, tensile yield strength (TYS) of 284 MPa, and an elongation (EL) of 5.7%. In contrast, after extrusion at 400 °C, the microstructure was almost completely DRXed with a greatly weakened texture, resulting in an improved EL of 15.1% and UTS of 274 MPa, TYS of 220 MPa. At the intermediate temperature of 350 °C, the alloy had a UTS of 298 MPa, TYS of 234 MPa, and EL of 12.8%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 774-776 ◽  
pp. 1059-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wichan Chuaiphan ◽  
Loeshpahn Srijaroenpramong ◽  
Dumrongrit Pinpradub

The effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI 4140 for base cutter cane harvester were studied. The effect of heat treatment - i.e. the different quenching medium (water, oil and air mediums) and the different heat treatment condition (quenching, quenching+tempering, cover scrap cast iron+ quenching and cover scrap cast iron+ quenching+tempering) on the on microstructure and mechanical properties (hardness, impact toughness and bend test). The material AISI 4140 was purchased from local market in Thailand and an emission spectroscopy was applied to quantify the amount of elements in steel. The specimens were heat treated in an induction furnace. The resultant microstructure of materials AISI 4140 consists of martensite and retained austenite after quenching all mediums, which quenching in water it have more than in oil and air medium respectively. The microstructure of materials AISI 4140 after tempering process consists of bainitic structure (ferrite and epsilon carbide) and retained austenite, which tempering in water quenching condition it have more than in oil and air quenching condition respectively. The hardness, impact toughness and bended test are according to behavior heat transfer of quenching mediums. The material alloy steel grade AISI 4140 is the good candidates to promote the quenching in water ,oil and air medium and must be continuous to tempering process. The technique heating by cover scrape cast iron it was good for protected surface and decreased decarburization on surface of steels. But it is not necessary for control microstructure and mechanical properties.


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