Effect of Cooling Rate on Microstructure and Properties of Heat-Treated Fe3Al Intermetallics
The casting Fe3Al intermetallics were solidified in sodium silicate sand mould and permanent mould respectively to get different cooling rates. After heat treatment (1000°С/15 h homogenizing annealing + furnace cooling followed by 600°С/1 h tempering + oil quenching), the microstructure and properties of Fe3Al intermetallics were investigated. The results show that the heat-treated Fe3Al intermetallics at higher cooling rate has finer grained microstructure than lower cooling rate, and the lattice distortion increases due to the higher solid solubility of the elements Cr and B at higher cooling rate. The tensile strength and hardness of the Fe3Al intermetallics at higher cooling rate are slightly higher also. However, the impact power of intermetallics at higher cooling rate is 67.5% higher than that at lower cooling rate, and the impact fracture mode is also transformed from intercrystalline fracture at lower cooling rate to intercrystallin+transcrystalline mixed fracture at higher cooling rate.