Influence of the Preheat Treatment on the Microstructure and Properties of X37CrMoV5-1 Steel

The technological properties of the hot-work tool steels depend on their microstructural quality induced by the production process and the heat treatment. One of the frequently applied methods to improve microstructure is preheat treatment. The treatment of carbonitriding X37CrMoV5-1 steel has been investigated in fluidized bed furnaces. Thickness and phase composition have been conducted using optical microscopy Neophot 32 and scanning microscopy, JEOL 5400, after etching in nital.     

Untersuchungen zur Dauerfestigkeit carbonitrierter Proben aus den Einsatzstählen 18CrNiMo7‐6und 20MnCr5

The endurance limit of carbonitrided specimens of 18CrNiMo7‐6 and 20MnCr5 case hardening steels were examined under bending conditions. Four variants were manufactured differing in heat treatment and surface conditions. Besides conventional gas carburised variants, carbonitrided specimens with a low and a raised nitrogen content of 0.2 and 0.45% at the surface as well as a carbonitrided and ground variant were examined. The specimens were tested with stress ratios R = –1 and 0. Depending on the nitrogen content cyclic loading evokes compressive residual stresses at the specimens' surfaces, caused by elastic‐plastic deformation. Specimens of the ground variant show additionally a decrease of the residual austenite content when cycled. The induced compressive residual stresses are substantially responsible for high endurance limits at both stress ratios and are the key for understanding the beneficial effect of carbonitriding in this regard.     

渗碳和碳氮共渗对16Mn钢疲劳性能的影响

实验研究了渗碳和碳氢共渗对１６Ｍｎ钢切口试件疲劳性能的影响规律。实验结果分析表明，碳氮共渗（含０．４％Ｃ－Ｎ）能显著地延长钢件的疲劳寿命．单一渗碳虽能延长钢件的疲劳寿命，但不如碳氮共渗者显著，而且表层中含碳量较低（０．４％Ｃ）时，延长疲劳寿命的效果不如含碳量高（０．８％Ｃ）时的效果好。     

稀土元素对碳氮共渗的催化作用、应用及其机理之探讨

本文研究了稀土元素对碳氮共渗的催化作用,并对催渗机理进行了探讨。实验表明,稀土碳氮共渗加深了渗层,提高了工件的性能。     

18-4-1及M42高速钢渗氮工艺研究

通过对M42及18-4-1高速钢氮化及碳氮共渗工艺的研究,得到了以下一些结果:1.高速钢经低氮势(N:H=1:4)长时间氮化,可以仅获得纯氮化扩散层,而不会出现明显化合物相。2.M42高速钢与18-4-1高速钢相比,相同条件下渗氮,渗层硬度高但层深较浅。3.高速钢在CH_4通入量少于3％的情况下进行氮碳共渗,可控制完全获得纯扩散层。氮碳共渗可以明显提高氮化渗速,增加渗层厚度,而对渗层硬度没有太大的提高。     

Influence of rf-power on the plasma carbonitriding of titanium

The present work reports on the effect of input plasma processing power in the range of 350–650 W on the microstructure and mechanical properties of plasma nitrided Ti. The plasma processing time was 20 min and a gas mixture of 15% C₂H₂ and 85% N₂ was used. The characteristics of the carbonitrided layer have been investigated by microhardness measurements, surface roughness measurements, optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The measured surface hardness values of the compound layer shows a maximum of 2050 HV0.1 for the sample treated at a plasma power of 550 W. The thickness of the carbonitrided layer continuously increases as the plasma power increases. Moreover, the highest carbonitriding rate of 3.52 μm²/s was observed when the input plasma power was adjusted at 600 W. This high carbonitriding rate of treated titanium samples is ascribed to the high concentration of active carbon and nitrogen species in the plasma atmosphere and the formed microcracks in the near surface of the sample during the plasma processing.     

Mechanism of the carbonitriding reactions of SiO2–Al2O3 minerals in the Si–Al–O–N system

Ceramics of the Si–Al–O–N system and SiC have a great technological interest because of their good thermomechanical properties at high temperatures. It is possible to obtain phases such as β-SiC, Si₃N₄, β′-sialons, O′-sialons, polytype sialons, AlN, Al₂O₃ or mixtures of these phases by means of carbonitriding reactions starting from minerals such as quartz, diatomite and other aluminosilicate minerals. The knowledge of the mechanism of these reactions permits to establish the necessary conditions to achieve the desired phases in the final product. The mechanisms of the carbonitriding reactions of several minerals with increasing aluminium content are studied. Their compositions are from diatomite up to mullite. Reactions of the mineral carbon mixture were carried out at 1300–1650°C in N₂ atmosphere. The phases formed were identified by X-ray diffraction in qualitative and, in some cases, in quantitative form. Intermediate compounds such as β-SiC, X-phase, mullite, glassy phases and gaseous silicon oxide were observed. The formation and importance of these phases depend on the mineral composition as well as on the reaction conditions (temperature, time, etc.). β-SiC, the main intermediate phase, may remain in the final products and may be the major phase depending on the temperature and the carbon content used. The final products of these reactions are phases of the Si–Al–O–N system. The phases obtained were characterized by EPMA, SEM and BET techniques.     

XRD study of variation of strengthening effects in carbonitrided 20Cr3MoVW steel by heat treatment

Abstract

This paper discloses the findings of an XRD investigation of microstructural characteristics and calculations of their contribution to hardening of carbonitrided 20Cr3MoVW steel subjected to three heat treatment conditions. A method for evaluation of the total yield strength using X-ray diffraction data is proposed herein. It is based on a model of the steel strengthening being linearly affected by several microstructure strengthening mechanisms. Analysis of changes in depth profiles of the estimated yield strength with heat treatment is given together with comparison against microhardness distribution in the hardened case.     

Development of High Strength Steel Designed for Carbonitriding with High Nitrogen Content to Be Used for Automatic Transmission Gears

To downsize and lighten automatic transmission components, the gears installed must be strengthened in terms of pitting endurance and/or wear resistance. The most important metallurgical factor affecting fractures is well known to be resistance to softening when steel is tempered at approximately 573 K. Carbonitriding with a high amount of nitrogen is a very effective production technique because nitrogen increases the resistance during tempering. However, structural anomalies begin to appear in the surface layer when the nitrogen content exceeds 0.6 mass% in the chromium steel generally used. To address this, we have developed new high-strength chromium steel with an optimized chemical composition that effectively inhibits anomalies even when carbonitriding with a nitrogen content of more than 0.6 mass%.We performed a drivetrain durability test on an automatic transmission component designed to have excellent contact fatigue strength and a tooth root bending impact and fatigue strength. We found that the developed steel that was carbonitrided with a content of about 0.9 mass%, and then shot peened hard, has a pitting life of roughly 4.5 times that of conventionally manufactured steel.     

Residual stresses and retained austenite evolution in SAE 52100 steel under non-ideal rolling contact loading

Residual stresses are introduced and modified during manufacturing as well as by normal use under rolling contact loading. Operations such as heat treatments, shot peening, grinding, etc., are known to alter the magnitude and distribution of residual stresses. Our work revolves around the changes in magnitude and distribution of residual stresses, as they relate to deformation and the strain induced transformation of retained austenite. The residual stresses and retained austenite measurements were carried out using X-ray diffraction techniques. The rolling contact fatigue lives of different variants of SAE 52100 bearing steel were evaluated in a 5-ball-rod rolling contact fatigue machine under testing conditions leading to surface nucleated failure, i.e. non-ideal rolling contact. The tests were accelerated by applying well controlled micro-indentations on the wear track. The contribution of the residual stresses and amount of retained austenite to the rolling contact fatigue life were analyzed.