scholarly journals Cryogenic treatment of tool steels: A brief review and a case report

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. Manuscript
Author(s):  
Thee Chowwanonthapunya ◽  
Chaiyawat Peeratatsuwan ◽  
Manote Rithinyo

Tool steels used in marine industries demand for the effective approach to enhance their properties. Normally, conventional heat treatment is widely used to increase the performance of tool steels. However, this method cannot fully enhance the tool steel performance. On the other hand, cryogenic treatment is a supplementary process to the conventional heat treatment, which can promote the conversion of retained austenite to martensite and accelerate the precipitation of fine carbides. In this paper, a systematic review of cryogenic treatment of tool steels was presented. A wide range of useful investigations was reviewed, particularly in the details of the transformation of retained austenite to martensite and the precipitation of the fine carbides. A case study on a tool steel subjected to conventional heat treatment, conventional cold treatment, and deep cryogenic treatment was also given and discussed to give an insight in the cryogenic treatment of tool steels.

Author(s):  
Debdulal Das ◽  
Kalyan K. Ray ◽  
Apurba K. Dutta

This study examines the influence of different sub-zero processing routes on microstructure and mechanical properties of a cold work tool steel. Incorporation of controlled sub-zero processing cycle in between hardening and tempering treatment of tool steels increases the amount of ultrafine carbide particles with improved homogeneous distribution in addition to reduction in retained austenite content; these modifications are found to be enhanced with decreasing lowest temperature of the sub-zero processing cycle. It has been demonstrated that with reference to conventional heat treatment, sub-zero processing moderately improves hardness and marginally reduces fracture toughness but substantially enhances wear resistance of the selected steel; the extent of variations, in general, increase in the order of cold treatment, shallow cryogenic treatment and deep cryogenic treatment. The relationships of microstructural modifications with the variations of mechanical properties of tool steels due to different sub-zero processing have been established.


2015 ◽  
Vol 647 ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagmar Jandová ◽  
Pavel Šuchmann ◽  
Jana Nižňanská

<p>A deep cryogenic heat treatment (DCT) was applied to X37CrMoV5 steel, which included soaking at -160°C for 12 and 30 hours followed by tempering at 180°C. Microstructures were compared with those after conventional heat treatment (HT). Microstructures with conspicuous dendritic segregation were observed in all specimens. After HT coarser and finer tempered martensite occurred in depleted and enriched areas of carbon and alloying elements respectively. Coarse molybdenum and vanadium carbides, fine secondary Fe2MoC carbides and retained austenite were identified after HT. Deep freezing resulted in microstructure refinement, transformation of retained austenite into twinned martensite, spinodal decomposition of martensite plates and precipitation of semicoherent h-carbide. The mechanism of h-carbide precipitation was discussed. Wear rate was measured using pin-on-disc test. The best results were obtained after DCT with cryosoaking for 12 hours.</p>


Metals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pello Jimbert ◽  
Maider Iturrondobeitia ◽  
Julen Ibarretxe ◽  
Roberto Fernandez-Martinez

The effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the wear behavior of different tool steels have been widely reported in the scientific literature with uneven results. Some tool steels show a significant improvement in their wear resistance when they have been cryogenically treated while others exhibit no relevant amelioration or even a reduction in their wear resistance. In this study, the influence of DCT was investigated for a grade that has been barely studied in the scientific literature, the AISI A8 air-hardening medium-alloy cold work tool steel. Several aspects were analyzed in the present work: the wear resistance of the alloy, the internal residual stress, and finally the secondary carbide precipitation in terms of lengths and occupied area and its distribution into the microstructure. The results revealed a reduction in the wear rate of about 14% when the AISI A8 was cryogenically treated before tempering. The number of carbides that precipitated into the microstructure was 6% higher for the cryogenically treated samples, increasing from 0.68% to 0.73% of the total area they covered. Furthermore, the distribution of the carbides into the microstructure was more homogenous for the cryogenically treated samples.


Metals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maider Muro ◽  
Garikoitz Artola ◽  
Josu Leunda ◽  
Carlos Soriano ◽  
Carlos Angulo

Most high-hardness tool steels comprising forming dies require expensive finish machining operations to compensate for the dimensional distortion and surface oxidation caused by the die heat treatment. Precipitation-hardening (PH) tool steels allow for soft finish machining followed by an aging treatment without major deformation or oxidation in the die, but exhibit poor wear performance owing to the lack of carbides in their structure. This drawback can be overcome by combining laser cladding technology, austenite retention, and cryogenic treatments. Hence, an alternative die manufacturing route based on laser cladding was explored. The forming surface of a modified chemistry tool steel die was subjected to cladding. The martensite finish (Mf) temperature of the steel was tuned to enhance austenite retention at room temperature. The cladded surface was then machined in a reduced-hardness condition resulting from retained austenite formation. Subsequent deep cryogenic treatment of the die favoured the retained-austenite-to-martensite transformation, thereby increasing the die hardness without major distortion or oxidation. This process combined the advantages of high-carbide-bearing tool steels and PH steels, allowing for a die with hardness exceeding 58 HRC to be finish machined at <52 HRC. Controlling the occurrence of retained austenite represents an effective strategy for achieving new manufacturing scenarios.


Author(s):  
Y. Arslan ◽  
I. Uygur ◽  
A. Jazdzewska

Recently, deep cryogenic treatment is performed to improve the mechanical responses (wear, hardness, fatigue, and thermal conductivity) of various steel components. Researchers have tried to evaluate the eco-friendly and nontoxic process to optimize the parameters. Cold-shearing punches used to manufacture various holes that undergo severe impact loading and wear in the metal forming process. This study concerns the effect of soaking time (24 hr, 36 hr) at liquid nitrogen temperature (−145 °C) during the deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructural changes which are carbide distribution and retained austenite percentage of AISI D3 tool steel punches. It was shown that the deep cryogenic treatment reduces retained austenite and enhanced uniform distribution of carbide particles. It is concluded that for significantly improved punch life and performance, it is an advisable application of 36 hr deep cryogenic treatment.


2013 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
pp. 477-481
Author(s):  
Yuh Ping Chang ◽  
Huann Ming Chou ◽  
Jeng Haur Horng ◽  
Li Ming Chu ◽  
Zi Wei Huang

The bad quality of machining surfaces caused by the micro wear of pressing parts has been a very big trouble for the engineers over the past decades. In order to decrease the surface wear, the technology of heat treatment is used popular. Many papers about the heat treatment technology had been proposed. Especially, the deep cryogenic treatment has been used widely for the purpose of wear-resistance in the industry. Moreover, the method of using variations of surface magnetization to monitor the dynamic tribological properties between the metal pairs has been applied successfully by the author. Therefore, this paper is base on the above statements to further investigate the tribological properties of the tool steel by deep cryogenic treatment. It can be clarified for effects of different deep cryogenic treatment temperatures on wear-resistance of the tool steel DC53. Besides, the purpose of better quality and faster product speed of the pressing process can then be obtained.


2006 ◽  
Vol 118 ◽  
pp. 9-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Mok Rhyim ◽  
Sang Ho Han ◽  
Young Sang Na ◽  
Jong Hoon Lee

It is well known that the durability of tool steel could be improved by deep cryogenic treatment. It has been assumed that the increase of service life of tool steel caused by decrease of retained austenite and/or by formation of nano-scale fine η-carbide. But the principles of deep cryogenic treatment remain unclear yet. In this research, to manifest the effect of deep cryogenic treatment on wear resistance, the specimen was emerged in liquid nitrogen for 20 hours for deep cryogenic treatment after austenitizing and the following tempering temperature was varied. The microstructure of specimens was observed using TEM and the mechanical properties and wear resistance were examined. As the tempering temperature increased, the carbides became larger and fine carbides were formed above certain temperature. In the case of deep cryogenic treated specimen, the number of carbides increased while the carbides size was decreased, furthermore, the fine carbide forming temperature was lowered also. It was considered that the deep cryogenic treatment increased the driving force for the nucleation of carbides. As tempering temperature increased, hardness decreased while wear resistance and impact energy increased. The deep cryogenic treated specimens showed this tendency more clearly. It was considered that the wear resistance is affected not only to the hardness but also to the precipitation of fine carbides, and this carbide evolution can be optimized through the deep cryogenic treatment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 270 ◽  
pp. 258-264
Author(s):  
Jana Sobotová ◽  
Martin Kuřík ◽  
Jakub Lacza

The paper deals with the assessment of the effect of content of cobalt and cryogenic treatment on mechanical properties and structure of Vanadis 23 and Vanadis 30 PM high-speed steels. The studied characteristics are evaluated after conventional heat treatment (quenching and multiple tempering) and also when deep cryogenic treatment at -196°C/4 hours was inserted between quenching and tempering. The mechanical properties are assessed by a three-point bending flexural test and by measurement of the hardness. Metallographic analysis is performed using an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM).


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
A. F. Hernandez ◽  
C. R. M. Silva ◽  
J. A. Araujo ◽  
J. D. B. De Mello

The Deep Cryogenic Treatment (DCT) has been used for improvement of steel mechanical properties, basically the abrasive wear resistance. At this work the cryogenic treatment at -190oC for 20 hours was applied, after conventional heat treatment, to improve its abrasive wear resistance. The specimens, divided in two groups, had been austenitized for forty five minutes at 965oC and 1065oC, respectively, then quenched in oil at room temperature. Afterwards they were tempered at 565oC for 90 minutes, and then cooled in air. Subsequently some samples were treated cryogenically, and some of them were submitted to a new cycle of tempering at 565oC for 90 minutes. The performed experiment included: hardness brinell, Xraydifratometry, metallography and micro-abrasive wear test. Variations in the microstructure with an improvement in the abrasive wear coefficient were found. These variations are probably a positive effect of the DCT on the samples microstructure. The microstructure were transformed from blocks of parallel lath martensite to small parallel or almost parallel packages of fine needles forming austenite. Traces of previous or retained austenite were found delimiting the grains. It is presumed that micro-carbide homogeneously distributed in the matrix and in the grain´s contours of the retained austenite was formed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 286-294
Author(s):  
László Tóth ◽  
Réka Fábián

The X153CrMoV12 ledeburitic chromium steel characteristically has high abrasive wear resistance, due to their high carbon and high chromium contents with a large volume of carbides in the microstructure. This steel quality has high compression strength, excellent deep hardenability and toughness properties, dimensional stability during heat treatment, high resistance to softening at elevated temperatures. The higher hardness of cryogenic treated samples in comparison with conventional quenched samples mean lower quantity of retained austenite as at samples quenched to room temperature and tempered in similar condition. In the microstructure of samples were observed that the primary carbide did not dissolve at 1070°C and their net structure have not been changed during to heat treatment. During to tempering at high temperature the primary carbides have become more and more rounded. After low tempering temperature in martensite were observed some small rounded carbides also, increasing the tempering temperature the quantity of finely dispersed carbides increased, which result higher hardness. The important issues in heat treatment of this steels are the reduction or elimination of retained austenite due to cryogenic treatment.


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