Response of the Cr-alloyed PM Steels on Vacuum Sintering and Heat Treatment

Abstract: The present paper deals with the evaluation of different vacuum heat treatments on the fracture surfaces of a low alloyed sintered steel in correlation with the mechanical and plastic properties achieved. The heat treatment conditions consist of the sintering process in vacuum furnace at 1393 K for 1800 s with an integrated final tempering at 473 K for 3600 s. The average cooling rates were calculated in the range of 1393 K to 673 K and were 0.1 K/s, 0.235 K/s, 3 K/s and 6 K/s, respectively. Vacuum heat treatment performed is supporting bainite/martensitic microstructure with increasing cooling rates; it provides a marked increase in strength coupled to a decrease in ductility. The typical microstructure appearances on the fracture surfaces show that microstructure-fracture developments are closely associated with strength/plastic properties. The fracture surface mode at higher magnification revealing two main micromechanisms of fracture: brittle (transgranular cleavage fracture) and ductile (dimples and plastic deformation by slip). Finally, the cooling rate of the vacuum furnace in order of 3 K/s is sufficient to obtain suitable properties of strength and plasticity which can however be accepted for several applications.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Response of the Cr-alloyed PM Steels on Vacuum Sintering and Heat Treatment ; volume:32 ; number:5 ; year:2013 ; pages:467-473 ; High temperature materials and processes ; 32, Heft 5 (2013), 467-473

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bidulský, Róbert ; Bidulská, Jana ; Actis Grande, Marco

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/htmp-2012-0174
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2501270457099.957643471529
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:24 AM CEST