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Investigation on microstructural and mechanical properties of sub-zero processed AISI 440C steel

  • Vignesh Kumar , Rama Thirumurugan and Shanmugam
Published/Copyright: September 7, 2020
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International Journal of Materials Research
From the journal International Journal of Materials Research Volume 111 Issue 9

Abstract

Sub-zero processing is an effective method to enhance the mechanical properties of steel due to the complete removal of residual austenite, and better precipitation of secondary carbides. Especially, the sub-zero processing temperature significantly influences the mechanical properties of steel. In the present study, the impacts of shallow and deep sub-zero processing on the microstructure, hardness, wear characteristics, and toughness of 440C martensitic steel were evaluated. An attempt has been made to correlate the influences of microstructural changes on these measured properties. It was found that although shallow sub-zero processing was capable of reducing the amount of residual austenite, deep sub-zero processing was required for its complete removal. Due to the low-temperature martensite formation at −196 °C, deep sub-zero processed specimens possessed a twinned martensite microstructure that significantly improved their strength. Furthermore, deep sub-zero processing increased the volume of micro-carbides by driving alloying carbides to the nearby defects. Hence, deep sub-zero processing led to a 15% improvement in hardness and up to a 60% improvement in wear resistance with an 11% drop in toughness. In contrast, shallow sub-zero processing improved the hardness and wear resistance by 7% and 23%, respectively, with a 30% drop in toughness.

Keywords: Austenite; Martensite; Secondary carbides; Sliding wear; Sub-zero processing
∗ Correspondence address, T. Vignesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engg, Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi – 642003, India, Tel.: +91 9524828946, E-mail:

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Received: 2019-12-02
Accepted: 2020-06-04
Published Online: 2020-09-07
Published in Print: 2020-09-16

© 2020, Carl Hanser Verlag, München

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https://doi.org/10.3139/146.111938
Keywords for this article
Austenite; Martensite; Secondary carbides; Sliding wear; Sub-zero processing

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Editorial
  4. Welcome to Prof. Joachim Bill as a new editor for IJMR
  5. Original Contributions
  6. Fabrication of highly porous merwinite scaffold using the space holder method
  7. Improvement of AISI 4340 steel properties by intermediate quenching – microstructure, mechanical properties, and fractography
  8. Hardness and corrosion properties of functionally graded AA5083/Al2O3 composites produced by powder metallurgy method
  9. Production and properties of functionally graded hybrid composites containing Al3Ti and TiB2
  10. Experimental measurement and thermodynamic model predictions of the distributions of Cu, As, Sb and Sn between liquid lead and PbO–FeO–Fe2O3–SiO2 slag
  11. Effect of Co substitution on the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects of Ni–Co–Mn–Sn alloys
  12. Effect of the synthesis parameters on the structural and magnetic properties of strontium hexaferrite synthesized via the Pechini method
  13. Investigation on microstructural and mechanical properties of sub-zero processed AISI 440C steel
  14. Effects of rail flash-butt welding and post-weld heat treatment processes meeting different national standards on residual stresses of welded joints
  15. DGM News
  16. DGM News
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