Heat Treatment of Metals ›› 2020, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (12): 97-101.DOI: 10.13251/j.issn.0254-6051.2020.12.018

• PROCESS RESEARCH • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of solution treatment and aging temperature on hardness and microstructure of precipitation hardening die steel 10Cr3Mo3NiCuAl

Chu Baoshuai1, Wu Xiaoyan2, Wang Haijun3, Zhang Jinwen1, Chen Jianli1   

  1. 1. Technology Center, Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Taiyuan Shanxi 030003, China;
    2. Shanxi Taigang Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., Taiyuan Shanxi 030009, China;
    3. School of Metallurgical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma'anshan Anhui 243032, Chian
  • Received:2020-07-03 Online:2020-12-25 Published:2021-01-14

Abstract: Effects of solution treatment and aging temperature on the microstructure and hardness of 10Cr3Mo3NiCuAl steel were studied by thermodynamic calculation, hardness test, metallography and scanning electron microscopy observation. The results show that when solution treated at 950 ℃, the tested steel is of uniform and fine microstructure with relative high hardness, mainly consisting of lath martensite and a small amount of retained austenite, and the carbides are basically dissolved in the matrix. With the increase of solution treatment temperature, the martensite lath coarsens. During aging at 520-540 ℃, a large amount of intermetallic compound Ni3Al is precipitated from the matrix acting for precipitation strengthening, and the hardness reaches a higher level. With the increase of aging temperature, tempered sorbite appears in the microstructure, resulting in a rapid decrease in hardness. It is recommended that the optimal solution treatment temperature is 950 ℃ and the optimal aging temperature range is 520-540 ℃.

Key words: precipitation hardening, plastic die steel, solution treatment, aging, microstructure, hardness

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