Effect of tempering temperature on microstructure and properties of aluminium-bearing high boron high speed steel

Heat treatment is of great significance to the performance improvement of high speed steel. Via heat treatment, the microstructure of high speed steel can be improved, thus greatly improving the material performance. The effect of tempering temperature on the microstructure of aluminium-bearing high boron high speed steel (AB-HSS) was investigated by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness and wear resistance of the alloy at different tempering temperatures were tested by Rockwell hardness tester, micro-hardness tester and wear tester. The experimental results indicate that the tempering microstructure of aluminium-bearing high boron high speed steel consists of α-Fe, M₂B and a few of M₂₃(C, B)₆. Tempering temperature could greatly affect the wear resistance of materials. With the increase of tempering temperature, the wear resistance of aluminium-bearing high boron high speed steel firstly increase and then decrease. The alloy tempered at 450 °C has the best wear resistance and minimum wear weight loss. This study provides a reference for the formulation of heat treatment process of aluminium-bearing high boron high speed steel.