| Abstract: | Thixoforming is an emerging young technology to produce complex structural parts and near net shape components. Thixoforming stands for the forming of materials in the semi‐solid state. One precondition for the thixoformability of materials is the minimum temperature range for the solidus‐liquidus interval and the globulitic formation of the solid phase during the thixoforming process. Besides this other parameters like shape factor, contiguity, matrix character, melting interval, and phase distribution are important process parameters. Aluminium and magnesium alloys are the objectives of numerous investigations, but research activities concerning the thixoformability of steel alloys have been commenced recently. This article provides metallographic information on the relevant parameters of the steel X210CrW12, taking into account the microstructural evolution and the establishment of a parameter field for forming this material in the semi‐solid state. |
