Effect of Austenitizing Temperature on the Quenching Microstructure and Properties of 51CrV4

Abstract:

The effect of austenitizing temperature on the quenching microstructure and properties of 51CrV4 steel was studied. The results show that with the increase of austenitizing temperature, the austenite grains grow gradually. After quenching, the hardness increased first and then decreased, and the strength increased first and then decreased after tempering at 460°C. When the austenitizing temperature was 880°C, the austenite grains were fine and uniform, about 16μm, the martensite structure was dense, the strength and hardness reached maximum. When the austenitizing temperature was 910°C, the decarburization phenomenon was obvious, and the strength, hardness and plasticity of the test steel decreased obviously. When the austenitizing temperature exceeded 910°C, the austenite grains grow sharply and some grains were abnormally coarse. The austenite grain size reached 20μm and the microstructure was coarser at austenitizing temperature of 950°C. Therefore, in order to ensure uniform grain size and no decarburization under the premise of complete austenitization, the best austenitizing temperature of 51CrV4 steel for good properties is 880°C.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 944)
• Pages: 357-363
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.944.357
• Online since: January 2019
• Authors: Xiao Dong Zhang, Dian Xiu Xia*, Shou Ren Wang
• Keywords: 51CrV4, Austenite Grain, Austenitizing Temperature, Decarburization

References

[1] N. Xie, S.P. Chen, Z. He, Effect of Austenitizing Temperature on Martensite´s Structure and Morphology of steel, Journal of Shaanxi Institute of Technology, 12(2) (1996) 10-14.

[2] B. Hwang, D.W. Suh, S.J. Kim, Austenitizing temperature and hardenability of low-carbon boron steels, Scripta Materialia, 64(12) (2011) 1118-1120.

DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2011.03.003

[3] Z.B. Zhang, et al. Effect of heating temperature on prior austenite size and solution of Nb in pipeline steel, Journal of Iron and Steel Research, 20(10) (2008)36-39.

[4] S.S. Zhang, M.Q. Li, Y.G. Liu, et al. The growth behavior of austenite grain in the heating process of 300M steel, Materials Science & Engineering A, 528(15) (2011) 4967-4972.

DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2011.02.089

[5] X.B. Shi, L.Y. Zhao, et al. Austenite grain growth tendency of several spring steel used for high-speed trains, Iron and Steel, 48(3) (2013) 60-65.

[6] S. Šolić, B. Senčič, V. Leskovšek, Influence of heat treatment on mechanical properties of 51CrV4 high strength spring steel, International Heat Treatment & Surface Engineering, 7(2) (2013) 92-98.

DOI: 10.1179/1749514812z.00000000040

[7] K.D. Chang, L.X. Yin, et al. Effect of austenizing temperature on grain size and hardness of 60Si2Cr VAT spring steel, Heat Treatment of Metals, 41(4) (2016) 35-37.

[8] H.X. Ni, Effect of high temperature deformation quenching on austenite grain size and martensite morphology, Journal of Pengcheng University, 13(1) (1998) 13-17.

[9] S. Maropoulos, S. Karagiannis, N. Ridley, The effect of austenitising temperature on prior austenite grain size in a low-alloy steel, Materials Science & Engineering A, 483(1) (2008) 735-739.

DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2006.11.172

[10] L. Zhu, Investigation on Processing, Microstructure and properties of 51CrV4 spring steel used for high-speed trains chinese academy of sciences, (2010).

[11] J.W. Yang, Influence of hot rolling and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of 51Cr V4 saw steel, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, (2015).

[12] J.Q. Cheng, J.G. Guo, Influence of quenching temperature on microstructure and hardness of M2Al high speed steel, Foundry Technology, 26(9) (2005) 810-812.

[13] Y.C. Hu, W.G. Huang, Effect of quenching temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties of high carbon medium chromium steel, Foundry Technology, 37(5) (2016) 904-907.

[14] Y.Y. Li, D.D. Cai, et al. Effect of heat treatment process on microstructure and properties of 51Cr V4 spring steel, Transactions of Materials and Heat Treatment, 39(7) (2018) 55-63.

[15] A.S. Podder, H.K. Bhadeshia, Thermal stability of austenite retained in bainitic steels, Materials Science & Engineering A, 527(7) (2010) 2121-2128.

DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2009.11.063

[16] H. Cai, G.Q. Liu, et al. Effect of quenching temperature on microstructure and properties of 60Si2Cr VAT spring steel, Heat Treatment of Metals, 42(2) (2017) 185-189.

[17] D.X. Xu, Z.D. Yin, Effect of heat treatment process on structure and properties of spring steel, Special Steel, 24(6) (2003) 1-4.

[18] H.D. Kim, I.S. Kim, Effect of austenitizing temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12% Cr steel, Isij International, 34(2) (1994) 198-204.

DOI: 10.2355/isijinternational.34.198

[19] J.D. Hu, Study on heat treatment process of medium-carbon high strength spring steel of 50CrV4, Central South University, (2012).