Yi Meng

Effects of Post Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of RAP-Processed Cr-V-Mo Steel

Owing to the phase segregation occurred during semisolid process, the ferroalloys products manufactured by semisolid process always exhibit inhomogeneous microstructure and poor mechanical properties. In this study, the post heat treatments including quenching treatment and tempering treatment with various processing parameters were carried out to improve the quality of Cr-V-Mo steel (JIS SKD61, AISI H13, DIN 1.2344) which processed by RAP (recrystallization and partial melting) processed. The microstructural characteristics (phase transformation, morphology of carbides, and distribution of alloying elements) and mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength, elongation, impact toughness, and resistance to high-temperature wear) of specimens processed by RAP and heat treatments under various experimental conditions were investigated experimentally. Being quenched from 1050 °C after isothermal holding for 480 s and then tempered twice at 560 °C for 2 h, the microstructural evolution took placed in both former solid-phase and liquid-phase regions of the RAP-processed Cr-V-Mo steel specimen. During this post heat treatment strategy, the weakening of phase segregation, the redistribution of carbides, and the release of residual stress occurred and resulted in the improvement of microstructure and a good combination of mechanical properties.