Precipitation Reactions during the Heat Treatment of Ferritic Steels

The precipitation reactions in two ferritic steels, 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb and 12Cr-1Mo-V-W, were studied. Analytical electron microscopy, optical microscopy, electrolytic extractions, and hardness measurements were used to determine the types, amounts, and effects of precipitates formed as a function of the heat treatment. The effect of variations in the austenitizing treatment was ascertained. In addition to variations in the austenitizing time and temperature, different cooling rates after austenitization were also used. Air cooling after austenitization (normalization) resulted in little precipitation in both alloys. Precipitation in the 12Cr-1Mo-V-W alloy after furnace cooling was found in all cases examined. Under certain conditions precipitation was also found after furnace cooling the 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb alloy. However, when compared to the amount of precipitate in the fully tempered state, the 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb showed a much greater variation in the degree of precipitation following furnace cooling. In addition, the matrix microstructure of the 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb alloy was very sensitive to cooling rate. The precipitation reactions during tempering after a normalizing treatment were followed as a function of tempering treatment. Tempering temperatures were varied from 400 to 780 °C. The carbide precipitation was essentially complete after one hour at 650 °C for both alloys. Analytical microscopy was used to identify the precipitates. In the 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb alloy, a combination of chromium-rich M₂₃C₆ and vanadium-niobium-rich MC carbides was found. The carbides in the 12Cr-1Mo-V-W alloy were identified as chromium-rich M₂₃C₆ and vanadium-rich MC. The results give an indication of the sensitivity of these alloys to heat treatment variations. This paper is based on a presentation made at the “Peter G. Winchell Symposium on Tempering of Steel” held at the Louisville Meeting of The Metallurgical Society of AIME, October 12-13, 1981, under the sponsorship of the TMS-AIME Ferrous Metallurgy and Heat Treatment Committees.