Anna Weddeling

Densifying and hardening of martensitic steel powders in HIP units providing high cooling rates

Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) units are worldwide used for the compaction of metal alloy powders. The cooling rate in a HIP unit is usually comparatively low. This lengthens cycle times and requires an additionally heat treatment for quenched and tempered steels. Novel cooling HIP concepts in HIP units feature high quenching rates. In this study, tool steels were investigated with respect to their time–temperature–transformation behaviour for different cooling parameters. The paper shows that encapsuled powdered tool steels can be compacted and hardened in the HIP unit. The examined steels exhibit a comparable or even a higher hardness and a finer microstructure. HIP units with high-quenching rates enable to compact and heat treat materials in one step.

Comprehensive investigation of phase transformation during diffusion alloying of Nb-rich powder metallurgical tool steels

Abstract Stainless tool steels highly alloyed in niobium can be produced by powder metallurgy using diffusion alloying. Steel powder atomised without carbon is subsequently mixed with graphite and hot isostatically pressed. The atomised powder contains the intermetallic Laves phase NbFe2 that transforms into MC-type carbides during HIP when graphite has been added. The obtained structure features a fine distribution of carbides to increase wear resistance and chromium fully dissolved in the matrix to provide corrosion resistance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and reflection position analysis with additional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been conducted to study the phase transition of NbFe2 Laves phase into NbC carbides in two high Nb alloyed stainless tool steels. The results show that carburisation starts at 1000–1050°C and also confirm the correlation between oxide reduction and carburisation. The formed carbides are distinctly understoichiometric, which leads to an overestimation of the suitable quantitiy of added carbon in the thermodynamic calculations.