Comparison of microstructure and mechanical properties of plastic mould steel for physical application

In this paper, plastic mold steel S136 and S136 SUP were studied for microstructural observation and mechanical properties through metallographic, SEM, EDS, XRD, hardness test and impact test. The results showed that after the same heat treatment, the martensite structure of S136 SUP was denser, the carbides were more uniform and finer, and the hardness was slightly lower but the toughness was greatly increased compared with that of S136. the residual austenite content of S136 and S136 SUP were 2.46% and 10%, respectively, and the heat treatment hardness was 50.1 HRC and 49.1 HRC, respectively. The impact toughness was 90.6 J and 299.1 J.

Effects of Water Cooling on the Microstructure of Electron Beam Additive-Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V

The inferior mechanical properties of EBAM Ti-6Al-4V samples are due to the coarse columnar grains containing coarse lamellar structures. One can expect that water cooling of the build platform will increase the cooling rate of the molten pool during the build-up process, causing microstructure refinement. In the present work, the substrate cooling effects on the microstructure and phase composition of EBAM Ti-6Al-4V samples are studied using optical, scanning electron, and scanning transmission microscopy, as well as X-ray diffraction analysis. It is shown that the microstructure of the EBAM Ti-6Al-4V samples built on the substrate without water cooling consists predominantly of columnar prior β grains with lateral sizes ranging up to 2000 µm, while cooling of the build platform causes the appearance of equiaxed prior β grains measuring 1000 µm. Moreover, the refinement of the martensite structure and the precipitation of α″ martensite platelets within a laths occur in the EBAM Ti-6Al-4V samples built on the water-cooled build platform. An explanation of the mechanisms underlying the α′→α + β and α′→α + α″ + β transformations during the building process is provided based upon ab initio calculations. The fragmentation of the a laths under the residual compressive stresses is discussed.

Effect of Heat Treatment on the Structure and Properties of the Carburized Layer of the Legs of Three-Ball Drill Bits

The effect of time-temperature parameters of heat treatment on the structure and properties of carburized case and the core of 19CrMnNiMo steel was studied. The critical points were determined by dilatometric analysis: Ac1 = 740°C, AC3 = 835°C. It was established, that after carburizing at 940 °C, prequench to 890 °C with oil cooling, quenching at 790 °C and tempering at 180 °C, martensite structure of carburized case with uniformly distributed carbides and the least amount of retained austenite is formed. The hardness of carburized case decreases smoothly from the surface into the depth, in proportion to the decrease in the carbon concentration and amounts to 60-50 HRC. The technological process of heat treatment of drill bit legs made of 19CrMnNiMo carburized steel providing minimal amount of retained austenite in structure, absence of carbide network and combination of optimum mechanical properties which is proved by a real on-site experiment is developed. Temperature conditions of carburizing, quenching and low tempering are recommended for the production of legs of roller bits.

Effect of austenite reverted transformation-annealing heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe–0.14C–5Mn–1Al–Ce steel

Microstructure and mechanical properties of medium-Mn steel (Fe–0.14C–5Mn–1Al–Ce) processed by different austenite reverted transformation-annealing temperatures vary from 580 °C to 740 °C were studied. It was found that the austenite reverted transformation-annealing temperature has a strong effect on microstructure evolution. The martensite structure was transformed into austenite by austenite reverted transformation during the austenite reverted transformation-annealing process. The orientation relationship between the austenite and the matrix was dominated by the Kennicutt–Schmidt relation. With the increase of the austenite reverted transformation-annealing temperature, the content of retained austenite first increases and then decreases at room temperature. The tensile strength first decreases and then increases, while the elongation first increases and then decreases. An excellent combination of tensile strength and elongation (Rm × A) was obtained in the Fe–0.14C–5Mn–1Al–Ce steel by austenite reverted transformation-annealing at 640 °C.

Ab Initio Study of Martensitic Transformation in NiTiPt High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys

The crystal structures and martensitic transformation of Ti50Ni50−xPtx alloys (x = 0, 6.25, 8.33, 10.42, 12.5, 18.75, 25) were studied by means of density functional theory (DFT). The computational results indicate that the lattice parameters of Ti-Ni-Pt alloys continuously increase with increasing the Pt content. It is found that at ≤ 12.5 at.% Pt, the martensite structure is monoclinic B19′ phase, and the energy differences between parent and martensite phases (ΔE) decrease slightly with a minimum observed at 6.25 at.% Pt. However, when the Pt content is increased to around 15 at.%, the most stable martensite phase is the orthorhombic B19 structure, and the ΔE increases sharply with Pt concentration. It was found that the phase transition temperatures are closely related to the energy differences ΔE between parent and martensite phases. The electronic structures of martensite B19 and B19′ phases are also discussed.

Chemical, electrochemical, thermodynamic and adsorption study of EN8 dual-phase steel with ferrite-martensite structure in 0.5 M H2SO4 using pectin as inhibitor

This paper presents the corrosion and inhibition behavior of heat-treated EN8 dual-phase steel with ferrite-martensite structure with pectin in 0.5 M sulphuric acid. The corrosion studies were performed using the weight loss method, electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization measurements, and impedance spectroscopy. The study was done at different concentrations of pectin in the temperature range of 40 to 70 °C and immersion time of 1, 3, 5, and 7 h. The results showed that the inhibition performance of pectin has enhanced with an increase in pectin concentration and decreased with the temperature and time of exposure. From the weight loss study, highest inhibition efficiency of 76.43% was achieved at 5.0 g/L at 1 h of exposure at 40 °C. The maximum inhibition efficiency of 62% was obtained with 5.0 g/L of pectin at 40 °C by potentiodynamic polarization method. The energy, enthalpy, and entropy of activation and also thermodynamic parameters like free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of adsorption were assessed and discussed. Appropriate adsorption isotherm was fit to the obtained experimental outcomes and achieved Langmuir adsorption isotherm to be the best fit and obeyed physical adsorption. Surface analysis: scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction techniques, atomic force microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray were done with and without the addition of pectin. The metal surface appears to be uniform and smooth in the presence of pectin and adsorption was confirmed by surface analysis.

Effect of deep tempering on microstructure and mechanical properties of G13Cr4Mo4Ni4V steel

By means of the post heat treatment of deep tempering on the aviation bearing steel G13Cr4Mo4Ni4V after quenching and high-temperature tempering, the effect of the treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of the steel was studied. Results show that, the deep tempering promotes the precipitation of carbides along the boundaries and on the bodies of martensite blocks. In this process, the block martensite structure is decomposed and refined. After three or more times of deep tempering treatments, the hardness of the steel is slightly improved due to the carbide precipitation on the boundaries and bodies of the martensite blocks and the growth of carbides. After 5 times of deep tempering treatments, the impact toughness and the elongation of the samples are slightly reduced, while the tensile strength is increased. The area of the crack propagation zone on the rotating-bending fatigue fracture increases, while that of the transient fracture zone decreases. The ultimate strength of the rotating-bending fatigue is increased from 560 MPa to 660 MPa, with the increased extent of 17.8%, which results from the decomposition and refinement of martensite blocks.

Phase and structural transformations when forming a welded joint from rail steel. Report 1. Thermokinetic diagram of decomposition of supercooled austenite of R350LHT rail steel

A thermokinetic diagram of decomposition of supercooled austenite of R350LHT steel was constructed based on the results of its dilatometric, metallographic and hardness analysis during continuous cooling and in isothermal conditions. It was found that cooling at a rate of 0.1 and 1 °C/s causes the austenite decomposition in R350LHT steel by the pearlite mechanism. After cooling at a lower rate, the pearlite structure is coarser and has lower hardness (289 HV). This is due to the higher temperature range of transformation, in which diffusion processes associated with the transformation of austenite into pearlite occur more actively. In the range of rates from 5 to 10 °C/s, the austenite decomposition occurs according to the pearlite and martensitic mechanism, which leads to the formation of a pearlite-martensite structure. When the austenite of the steel under study is cooled at a rate of 30 and 100 °C/s, the austenite transforms according to the martensitic mechanism, and a martensitic structure with high hardness is formed. With an increase in the cooling rate of R350LHT steel, an increase in hardness is observed from 289 (at 0.1 °C/s) to 864 – 0 896 HV (at 100 and 30 °C/s, respectively). The conducted studies allow the boundaries of the search for optimal parameters of welding and heat treatment modes of the investigated rail steel to be narrowed. To obtain the required structures and physical and mechanical properties (austenite of R350LHT steel undergoes decomposition by the pearlite mechanism), cooling should be carried out at a rate of no more than 1 °С/s.