INFLUENCE OF TIME-TEMPERATURE PARAMETERS OF LONG-DURATION EXPOSURE ON TRANSFORMATIONS IN STRUCTURAL STEELS (review)

Low-temperature nitriding of steels is usually carried out in the temperature range of development of reversible temper brittleness. The holding time at these temperatures significantly exceeds the holding time during normal tempering, which can negatively affect the properties of steel. The article considers theories that explain the processes occurring in steels in the temper brittleness temperature range. It may be concluded that views linking the embrittlement of steel with alloying elements such as nickel in its content are not confirmed by the experiments; at the same time ideas based on classical views about the diffusion of chemical elements explain the processes in steel better.

Influence of Charge Quality on Physical, Mechanical and Operational Properties of Low-Alloy Steel 30KHGSA

Purpose of reseach is to study the influence of the quality of the original charge on the complex of physical, mechanical and operational properties of structural low-alloy steel 30HGSA.Methods. As an object of research, a typical representative of low-alloy structural steels has been chosen - steel 30HGSA, smelted using metallized sponge iron pellets, ordinary scrap metal and billets obtained by the method of a boiling slag layer. In accordance with the set objectives of the study, steel 30HGSA of various melts, obtained with different charge, had the same conditions for melting, evacuation, deoxidation, casting and crystallization. The casting temperature was 1600...1620 оC and the post-vacuum treatment temperature was 1530...1560 °C. Duration of evacuation - 5 minutes. Casting of melts was carried out into cast iron molds with a siphon for 4 ... 5 minutes. Deoxidation was carried out in a ladle with aluminum in the amount of 4 ... 4.5 kg / melt. After solidification, the ingots were cooled in special wells. The ingots were cut into 3 parts: head, middle and bottom (600 × 600 mm). The middle part was then hot forged and rolled to a Ø30 mm bar. The length of the rod was 2 ... 3.4 m. After hot deformation, the rods were cooled in air.Results. Mechanical tests have been carried out. Statistical processing of experimental results has been performed. Regularities of changes in the characteristics of mechanical properties have been revealed: tensile strength, creep strength, relative narrowing of the cross-sectional area of the sample, relative elongation of the initial working length, impact strength (σВ, σ0.2, ψ, δ, aН).Conclusion. It has been found that with an increase in temperature, the mechanical properties of steel 30HGSA, smelted on various charges, decrease. It has been established that the cold brittleness threshold of 30HGSA steel is lower for purer melts on spongy iron and intermediate product KShS, the value of impact toughness at low temperatures is higher than in melting on a conventional metallized charge. Noticeable softening begins at a tempering temperature of 300 °C The temperature of the maximum tempering brittleness for steel 30HGSA, melted on a conventional metallized charge, is 550 °C It is shown that steel 30HGSA smelted with a pure original charge (spongy iron) has a lower tendency to temper brittleness than steel smelted with a conventional charge. The value of the impact toughness of the steel of this melt is higher than that of the steel of conventional melting over the entire tempering temperature range.

Residual Stress and Microstructure Characterization of 34CrMo4 Steel Modified by Shot Peening

34CrMo4 steel is widely used for drill stem in oil exploration, because of its excellent properties, such as favorable hardenability, shock absorption, less tendency of temper brittleness, and eminent wear resistance. In this study, the main works are residual stress test and microstructure characterization of 34CrMo4 steel upon various shot peening treatments. The residual stress distribution with effect depth was studied upon the shot peening. Face-to-face paste sample preparation method is required for continuous observation for microstructure evolution of shot-peened specimen from the treat surface to matrix. Grain refinement, lath structure, and precipitates are clearly observed in the gradient deformation layer.

Comparative Characteristics of Free-Machining Steels of Cr-Mo Type

The work investigates the properties of lead-free free-machining steel grade A30KhMAR, containing BN inclusions, in comparison with the base Cr-Mo steel 30KhM, lead-bearing AS30KhM, lead-calcium-bearing ASTs30KhM, calcium-bearing ATs30KhM, bismuth-calcium-bearing AVTs30KhM and tin-bearing AО30KhM. Effect of bismuth, calcium, lead, tin and boron nitride inclusions on steel susceptibility to temper brittleness and cold brittleness is studied. Contamination of steels with non-metallic inclusions is estimated. End-quench hardenability curves of the test steel A30KhMAR are obtained. Free-machining Cr-Mo structural steel, containing low-melting elements, has ASTM grain size of the number of 7–8. Hardenability and austenite grain size are satisfactory compared to the base steel 30KhM. Mechanical properties of the test steel in longitudinal direction (ultimate and proof stress, specific elongation, reduction in area, impact toughness, hardness) were also determined. It was found that bismuth, calcium, lead, tin, boron and nitrogen (in the form of boron nitride inclusions) within the studied limits do not have negative effect on mechanical properties of heat-treated ASTs30KhM, ATs30KhM, AVTs30KhM, A30KhMAR and AО30KhM steels, and the values of strength, plasticity and toughness characteristics satisfy the requirements of GOST standards for the base steel 30KhM and lead-bearing steel AS30KhM.

Bending and Tempering Process of L415M Hot Induction Bend Used in Low Temperatures Areas

Test bends of L415M hot induction bend of 508 mm OD×14.3 mm WT used in –45°C areas were conducted. The bending and tempering process parameters were designed, the influences of bending and tempering process parameters on impact toughness at –45°C and microstructure of tangent weld and bend weld were investigated. Hot induction bend was produced by the process of local induction heating+fast water quenching. After tempering treatment, the weld contained martensite-austenite (M-A) islands, carbide precipitations, welded column crystal structure and little pearlite (P), and the brittle fracture surface contained S segregation, the temper brittleness of the weld occurred, which lead to impact energy of bend weld to be lower than 40 J at –45°C. Without post-bending tempering treatment, the microstructures of bend weld was a composite of polygonal ferrite (PF) and granular bainite (GB) with small size and uniform distribution, the coarse column structure and acicular ferrite (AF) disappeared in the weld, so the impact energy of bend weld was higher than 70 J at –45°C, but the impact energy of tangent weld was very poor. It suggests that the process of overall induction of heating + fast water quenching + no tempering treatment is more reasonable, the process ensures that the impact toughness at –45°C, strength and other properties of bend meet the requirements of CDP-S-OGP-PL-016-2011-2.

Defects in Tool Steels for Dies

Selecting and correctly heat treating an appropriate tool steel for production a die is not a simple task. This paper points out defects which are encountered most frequently in dies when a poor-quality material or an inadequate heat treating schedule was selected or when the prescribed heat treating schedule was not followed. The most common deficiencies in semi-finished products from tool steels for die making include carbide banding and non-uniform microstructure with substantial variance in grain size. Incorrect tempering parameters are often used and the materials are thus treated in the region of temper brittleness. Cases of the above kind have been investigated by the laboratory at COMTES FHT a.s. in recent years and their summary is given in the text below.