EBSD study on the significance of carbon content on hardenability

Publication date: 1 November 2019Source: Materials Letters, Volume 254Author(s): S. Huang, B.B. Wu, Z.Q. Wang, Y.S. Yu, C.S. Wang, L. Yan, X.C. Li, C.J. Shang, R.D.K. MisraAbstractTwo high strength low alloy steels with different carbon content were studied to elucidate the effect of carbon content on hardenability in terms of crystallography. The hardness reduction from 2 to 50 mm distance from the surface in end-quenched steels of 0.09C and 0.12C was 8.0 and 3.2 HRC, respectively, which implied higher hardenability of 0.12C steel than 0.09C. At low cooling rate, the microstructure of 0.09C and 0.12C steel was granular and lath bainite, respectively, and the density of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) of 0.12C steel was significantly greater than 0.09C. Carbon improved the hardenability by optimizing the variant selection to increase the density of high angle grain boundary (HAGB).
Source: Materials Letters - Category: Materials Science Source Type: research