Analysis of Tensile Strength, Hardness and Impact Energy of SAE1040 Steel Using Heat Treatment Processes

Abstract

A systematic study was carried out to improve the mechanical properties of medium carbon steel grade SAE 1040 by heat treatment processes. Test specimen were prepared according to ASTM standards. Test specimen were heat treated in Gas furnace at austenitization temperature of 700C to obtain fully austenite structure, soaked for 90 minutes, cooled in air and furnace, and quenched in water separately. Mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, breaking strength, Young’s Modulus, elongation and impact energy were investigated in this study. It was observed that water quenching enhances materials’ hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, breaking strength and Young’s Modulus while reducing the elongation and impact energy as compared with untreated specimen. Furnace cooling decreases materials’ hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, breaking strength, Young’s Modulus while increasing the elongation and impact energy as compared with untreated specimen. Air cooling improved the materials’ mechanical properties such as hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, breaking strength, Young’s Modulus, elongation and impact energy as compared with untreated specimen. The results of this study show that the heat treatment technique greatly influences the mechanical properties of medium carbon steel grade SAE 1040.