Evaluation of factors influencing deep cryogenic treatment that affect the properties of tool steels

Deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) of tool steels is used as an additive process to conventional heat treatment and usually involves cooling the material to liquid nitrogen temperature (−196 °C). This kind of treatment has been reported to improve the wear resistance of tools. In this study, the Taguchi method was used to identify the main factors of DCT that influence the mechanical properties and the wear resistance of the powder metallurgically produced cold-work tool steel X153CrVMo12 (AISI D2). Factors investigated were the austenitizing temperature, cooling rate, holding time, heating rate, and tempering temperature. In order to study the significance of these factors and the effect of possible two-factor interactions L₂₇(3¹³), an orthogonal array (OA) was applied to conduct several heat treatments, including a single DCT cycle directly after quenching prior to tempering. The results show that the most significant factors influencing the properties of tool steels are the austenitizing and tempering temperatures. In contrast, the parameters of deep cryogenic treatment exhibit a lower level of significance. Further investigations identified a nearly constant wear rate for holding times of up to 24 h. The wear rate reaches a minimum for a longer holding time of 36 h and increases again with further holding.     

Microstructural study of cryogenically treated En 31 bearing steel

The effect of shallow cryogenic treatment (SCT) and deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the microstructure of En 31 bearing steel is studied in the present work. En 31 bearing steel subjected to cryogenic treatment showed more hardness than the conventionally heat treated steel. Fractography analysis of the cryogenic treated steel carried out using scanning electron microscope indicate the presence of equiaxed dimples and flat facets in SCT specimen, wide ranged size of dimples and microcracks in DCT specimen. Microstructural analysis is carried out using optical microscope to find out the probable mechanism for these effects and also to study the effect of tempering on cryogenically treated En 31 steel.     

Effect of deep cryogenic treatment on dilatometric curve and tribological properties of high speed steel

Abstract

Advantages of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) over the standard heat treatment of high speed steels for the purpose of obtaining better properties are quoted in an increasing number of scientific papers to be found in literature. This paper deals with the improvements in high speed steel properties achieved by using DCT on test samples made of PM S390 MC high speed steel. The effect of DCT on the dilatometric curve during tempering and on the abrasive and the erosion wear resistance has been investigated and compared with results obtained from a set of test samples made of the same steel heat treated by the conventional method (hardened and three times high temperature tempered). Dilatometric tests confirmed the existence of common processes in tempering, which depend on the initial state of steel (only quenched, and quenched and deep cryogenically treated). These tests showed that the DCT had not completely eliminated the residual austenite, particularly in the case of the highest austenisation temperature. The tribological results obtained confirm that the application of DCT results in significantly improved erosive wear resistance, while the abrasive wear resistance depends on the temperature of austenisation used.     

深冷处理对YG8硬质合金/42CrMo钢钎焊接头残余应力的影响

通过ANSYS仿真软件建立了YG8硬质合金/42CrMo钢钎焊接头的焊接工艺模型和深冷处理工艺模型,分析了接头表面残余应力分布,并与经深冷+回火处理后的焊接接头表面残余应力进行对比。结果表明,深冷处理可使焊接接头42CrMo钢侧形成残余压应力,且深冷温度对残余压应力的影响较深冷次数更明显。最优深冷工艺为-160 ℃深冷3次,且仿真结果与试验测量值相差不大,表明所建立的模型具有一定的可靠性。     

Influence of Residual Stress on the Dimensional Instability of 7075 Aluminum Cone-Shaped Shells

This paper dealt with the influence of residual stress on the dimensional instability of 7075 aluminum cone-shaped shells. Finite element method was introduced to calculate residual stress distributions in 7075 aluminum cone-shaped shells during conventional heat treatment (CHT) and deep cryogenic treatment (DCT). An example was given to demonstrate effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) and conventional heat treatment (CHT) on dimensional instability. It is concluded that initial residual stresses have ...     

Investigation on wear behaviour of cryogenically treated TiAlN coated tungsten carbide inserts in turning

Cryogenic treatment has been ascribed as a way of improving the cutting life of tungsten carbide turning inserts. Most of the research conducted till date has not reported any effort to excavate the effect of cryogenic treatment on the performance of coated tungsten carbide inserts in terms of adhesion strength of coatings deposited on tungsten carbide substrate. In order to understand the effect of cryogenic treatment on the adhesion strength of coatings, a comparative investigation of the wear behaviour and machining performance of cryogenically treated coated tungsten carbide inserts in orthogonal turning has been carried out in this study. The commercially available TiAlN coated square shaped tungsten carbide inserts (P25) were procured and subjected to cryogenic treatment at two levels −110 °C (shallow treatment) and −196 °C (deep treatment) of temperature independently. The criterion selected for determining the turning performance was based on the maximum flank wear (0.6 mm) as recommended in ISO 3685-1993. The results showed that shallow cryogenically treated coated tungsten carbide inserts performed significantly better as compared with deep cryogenically treated and untreated inserts. Major outcome of the present study includes a substantial decrease in tool life of deep cryogenically treated inserts as compared to untreated inserts indicating the destructive effect of deep cryogenic temperature (−196 °C) on TiAlN coated inserts which is further supported by VDI-3198 indentation test.     

Effects of titanium-implanted pre-treatments on the residual stress of TiN coatings on high-speed steel substrates

This investigation examined how titanium ion implantation pre-treatment affects the residual stress of TiN coatings on M2 high-speed steel. Ions were implanted by metal plasma ion implantation. The adhesion strength of the TiN coatings was enhanced by pre-treatment that implanted Ti into the M2 tool steel substrate. The implanted substrate functioned as a buffer layer between the deposited TiN and the tool steel substrate, resulting in variations of the residual stress. The residual stress determined by glancing-angle XRD demonstrates that the deposited TiN films on ion-implanted substrates exhibited reduced compressive stress, from − 3.95 to − 2.41 GPa, which corresponded to a decrease in the grain size of the TiN films. The texture of the TiN film was clearly transformed from the preferred orientation of (220) to (111), subsequently enhancing wear resistance against a tungsten ball.     

Grain size effects on the SCC susceptibility of a nitrogen steel in hot NaCl solutions

The effect of grain size on the exhibited stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance of an austenitic stainless steel containing 0.97 wt.% nitrogen was investigated in this work. In order to vary the grain size, the as-received steel (AR) was heat treated (HT) at 550 and at 1100 °C for 1 h. Cert specimens of the AR and HT N-containing steels were then machined and tested in a Cortest machine using slow strain rates ranging from 7.95 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹ to 7.06 × 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹. The corrosion environment was hot water, as well as a 30% NaCl solution at 90 °C. In all the steel conditions, SCC was directly related to active pitting development. In all the cases, pits were found to preferentially form at Mn-Al inclusions, but were not able to grow too deep probably as a result of active repassivation reactions. It was found that the drop in the exhibited mechanical properties of the steels such as yield strength, UTS and % elongation was particularly enhanced for the coarse grained steel HT at 1100 °C. A SCC susceptibility index confirmed that this was indeed the case. Apparently, a drop in the yield strength tends to reduce the mechanical stability of the passive layer promoting its breakdown. Finally, quasi-cleavage and the lack of appreciable plastic deformation in some of the fracture surfaces indicated that the steel underwent some degree of embrittlement when exposed to these aqueous environments.     

In situ measurement and modelling of austenite grain growth in a Ti/Nb microalloyed steel

Using a novel laser ultrasonics technique in situ measurements of austenite grain growth were conducted during continuous heating (10 °C s⁻¹) and subsequent isothermal holding at various temperatures in the range 950-1250 °C in a microalloyed linepipe steel. Based on the experimental results, a grain growth model was developed, which includes the pinning effect of precipitates present in the steel. Analyzing the grain growth behaviour and using the advanced thermo-kinetic software MatCalc, an approach was developed to estimate the initial distribution of precipitates in the as-received material and their dissolution kinetics. The evolution of the volume fractions and mean particle sizes of NbC and TiN leads to a time-dependent pinning pressure that is coupled with the proposed grain growth model to successfully describe the observed kinetics of austenite grain growth. The predictive capabilities of the model are illustrated by its application to independent grain growth data for rapid heat treatment cycles that are typical of the weld heat affected zone.     

Microstructure, residual stresses and shear strength of diamond-steel-joints brazed with a Cu-Sn-based active filler alloy

Brazing of diamonds is important in grinding technology. The brazing parameters can strongly influence the grinding tool's performance. In this work a Cu-Sn-based active filler alloy (73.9 Cu-14.4 Sn-10.2 Ti-1.5 Zr, wt.%) was applied to join monocrystalline block-shaped diamonds onto a stainless steel substrate using three different brazing temperatures (880, 930 and 980 °C) and two different dwell times (10 and 30 min), respectively. The characteristics of the joints were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (microstructure and phase composition), by Raman-spectroscopy (residual stress) as well as by shear testing (bond strength). The microstructural investigations revealed an intermetallic interlayer of type Fe₂Ti at the steel-filler alloy interface, which grew with increasing brazing temperatures and longer dwell durations. The brazing parameters strongly affected the residual stresses in the diamond. Compressive residual stresses with a maximum value of − 350 MPa were found in the samples brazed at 880 and 930 °C, whereas tensile stresses of maximum + 150 MPa were determined in samples joined at 980 °C. The effect of the brazing parameters on the shear strength is very pronounced. The shear strength decreased from (321 ± 107) MPa at 880 °C, 10 min to (78 ± 30) MPa at 980 °C, 30 min.     

Introduction of compressive residual stress into stainless steel by employing a cavitating jet in air

In order to eliminate stress corrosion cracking, a method of introduction of compressive residual stress using cavitation impacts was proposed, without use of shots. The cavitation impacts were successfully produced by a cavitating jet in air, without the requirement of a water-filled chamber. The injection condition of the jet was optimized and the introduction of compressive residual stress into stainless steel was demonstrated using the jet. The maximum compressive residual stress introduced by the optimized jet was 500 MPa on the surface, while the thickness of the modified layer was up to 400 μm. A method for estimation of the introduced compressive residual stress by the jet as a function of processing time was proposed, considering the stochastic phenomena of the cavitation impacts. Both the intense impact at 0.2 Hz and relatively weak impact at 4.5 Hz affect the introduction of compressive residual stress. The value of the residual stress and the thickness of the modified layer can be estimated by the proposed experimental equation.     

Structural, optical and charge transport study of rutile TiO2 nanocrystals at two calcination temperatures

In this study the influence of two different calcination temperatures 80 °C and 450 °C on the structural, optical and charge transport properties of rutile TiO₂ nanocrystals has been investigated. TiO₂ nanocrystals have been prepared at low temperature by a simple hydrolysis method using titanium tetrachloride as starting precursor. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the prepared nanocrystals have a rutile tetragonal crystalline structure. Specific surface area of 80 °C and 450 °C calcinated rutile TiO₂ nanocrystals are 25.38 × 10⁵ cm²/g and 7.61 × 10⁵ cm²/g respectively, which has been calculated by X-ray diffraction data. Williamson-Hall plot results indicate the presence of compressive strain at 80 °C and tensile strain at 450 °C. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy is used to calculate the band gap of the material and the shift in absorption edge and it has been observed that the absorption spectra are strongly modified by the calcination temperature. The red-shift in photoluminescence (PL) is attributed to the change in strain from compressive to tensile. Photoconductivity (PC) measurements showed that capture cross-section of 80 °C (R1) and 450 °C (R2) calcinated rutile nanocrystals are 55.10 × 10⁻¹⁰ and 39.50 × 10⁻¹⁰ cm² respectively. High value of electron life-time, low value of radiative recombination and a four order increase in photogenerated charge carriers have been reported for the rutile TiO₂ nanocrystals calcinated at 450 °C.     

渗碳钢的深冷强化

采用透射电镜研究了深冷处理对ＳＡＥ４８２０渗碳钢ＴＥＭ组织的影响。用Ｘ射线衍射法对表层残留奥氏体和残余应力作了定量分析。结果表明,深冷处理可促使残留奥氏体向马氏体转变,淬火马氏体回火后析出高度弥散的超微细碳化物,降低残余压应力。     

Lateral gradients of phases,residual stress and hardness in a laser heated Ti0.52Al0.48N coating on hard metal

The influence of a local thermal treatment on the properties of Ti–Al–N coatings is not understood. In the present work, a Ti_0.52Al_0.48N coating on a WC–Co substrate was heated with a diode laser up to 900 °C for 30 s and radially symmetric lateral gradients of phases, residual stress and hardness were characterized ex-situ using position-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nanoindentation. The results reveal (i) a residual stress relaxation at the edge of the irradiated area and (ii) a compressive stress increase of few GPa in the irradiated area center due to the Ti–Al–N decomposition, in particular due to the formation of small wurtzite (w) AlN domains. The coating hardness increased from 35 to 47 GPa towards the center of the heated spot. In the underlying heated substrate, a residual stress change from about − 200 to 500 MPa down to a depth of 6 μm is observed. Complementary, in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction analysis of stresses in a homogeneously heated Ti_0.52Al_0.48N coating on a WC–Co substrate was performed in the range of 25–1003 °C. The in-situ experiment revealed the origin of the observed thermally-activated residual stress oscillation across the laser heated spot. Finally, it is demonstrated that the coupling of laser heating to produce lateral thermal gradients and position-resolved experimental techniques opens the possibility to perform fast screening of structure–property relationships in complex materials.     

Change in carbon state by low-temperature aging in heavily drawn pearlitic steel wires

Atom probe tomography analysis of heavily drawn pearlitic steel wires was performed with and without low-temperature aging. In the as-drawn wire, the lamellar cementite hardly decomposed and remained in a sufficient amount. By contrast, almost homogeneous carbon atomic distribution of the concentration near the average carbon content was observed in the wire with maximum tensile strength aged at 150 °C for 30 min. In the 200 °C × 30 min aging, carbon atoms were enriched at the boundary (prior lamellar cementite) and the carbon concentration in the lamellar ferrite was lower. The change in carbon state was explained by the presence of the high number density of vacancies that was introduced by heavy drawing. These results indicate that cementite decomposition occurred during the thermal aging after, and not during, drawing. The mechanism of the change in strength by low-temperature aging was discussed.     

微合金中碳钢48MnV曲轴连杆轴颈感应淬火工艺的优化

采用对比试验法,以淬火功率、回火条件、加热时间、冷却时间等作为变量,研究了微合金中碳钢48MnV曲轴连杆轴颈感应热处理的最佳工艺。结果表明,优化的感应热处理工艺为淬火功率165 kW,电流频率9 kHz,加热时间17 s,冷却间隔时间1 s,冷却时间20 s, 210℃回火2.5 h。在优化的感应热处理工艺下,连杆轴颈淬硬层显微组织为细小均匀针状马氏体;轴颈表面、两侧过渡圆角距表面0.25 mm处的最高硬度依次可达720.9、690.0和667.1 HV,耐磨性显著提高;连杆轴颈、过渡圆角表面残余应力呈现为压应力,靠芯轴端过渡圆角残余应力高达-884.0 MPa,靠法兰端过渡圆角残余应力为-831.9 MPa;试样的疲劳极限载荷最高,高达3750 N·m。感应热处理后残余压应力越大,越有利于提高曲轴连杆轴颈的弯曲疲劳强度。     

Residual stress relaxation during heating of bearing rings produced in two different manufacturing chains

Bearing rings produced in two different manufacturing chains have been investigated in terms of residual stress relaxation behavior during heating. Cold rolled rings present almost constant compressive residual stresses at the external periphery and completely affected cross sections. Machined rings show high tensile residual stress with periodic variations along the outer periphery caused by clamping during machining. Residual stress states then are confined in a very thin layer. With increasing temperature residual stresses relax. Machined rings present a progressive loss of the residual stress periodicity with increasing temperature. The cold rolled rings show a different relaxation behavior between surface and core. Complementary investigations revealed that recrystallization occurs at a higher temperature in the core compared to the surface. The surface of cold rolled rings and machined rings present a similar behavior: recovery processes induce a decrease of residual stresses at temperatures up to 500 °C and recrystallization starts above 500 °C which causes a complete residual stress relaxation. In the core of cold rolled rings, recovery processes are still active until 600 °C where recrystallization begins. However, residual stresses in the core are already completely relaxed at 600 °C.     

大直径曲轴热处理后的残余应力分析

以巴克豪森噪声（BN）为基础,采用磁弹性应力仪测量大直径曲轴调质、定型（中间退火）、中频淬火过程的残余应力,并研究了残余应力的形成、沿截面分布规律以及对工艺的影响。结果表明,调质后曲轴表面残余应力为压应力,心部为拉应力,压应力层深约15mm;定型处理使表面压应力减少了100MPa左右,对中频硬化不利,需予以取消;中频淬火后表面残余应力为压应力,在8mm左右深度上,压应力稳定在420MPa左右,压应力总层深约13mm。     

Internal stresses in steel plate generated by shape memory alloy inserts

Neutron strain scanning was employed to investigate the internal stress fields in steel plate coupons with embedded prestrained superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy inserts. Strain fields in steel were evaluated at T = 21 °C and 130 °C on virgin coupons as well as on mechanically and thermally fatigued coupons. Internal stress fields were evaluated by direct calculation of principal stress components from the experimentally measured lattice strains as well as by employing an inverse finite element modeling approach. It is shown that if the NiTi inserts are embedded into the elastic steel matrix following a carefully designed technological procedure, the internal stress fields vary with temperature in a reproducible and predictable way. It is estimated that this mechanism of internal stress generation can be safely applied in the temperature range from −20 °C to 150 °C and is relatively resistant to thermal and mechanical fatigue. The predictability and fatigue endurance of the mechanism are of essential importance for the development of future smart metal matrix composites or smart structures with embedded shape memory alloy components.     

Challenges in hot-dip galvanizing of high strength dual phase steel: Surface selective oxidation and mechanical property degradation

In this work, the two challenges in hot-dip galvanizing of high strength dual phase steel such as surface selective oxidation and mechanical property degradation were discussed. It was shown that the external selective oxidation occurred at low dew point − 30 °C caused the full coverage of oxides, which is a problem for reactive wetting by molten zinc. Although increase of dew point to + 10 °C decreased the surface coverage of oxides, the formation of internal oxides consumed the alloying element and accumulated in the subsurface area in a large scale. Furthermore, the heat treatment parameters of hot-dip galvanizing, i.e. cooling rate after inter-critical annealing and the 460 °C-isothermal soaking time influenced the mechanical properties.