Abstract
Abstract Recent modifications in chemical composition have been applied commercially to high alloy tool steels to improve toughness and tempering resistance. A common point in all compositions is the reduction of silicon content from the 1·0% used in AISI H11 and H13 down to 0·3% or lower levels. The present work investigates in detail the effect of silicon on tempering sequence and alloy carbide formation, proposing an explanation for the mechanical properties. Laboratory heats with silicon contents between 0·05 and 2·0% were cast and forged under industrial conditions. Mechanical tests were based on impact toughness and hardness measurements, after hardening from 1020°C and tempering at temperatures between 400 and 650°C. Secondary carbides were evaluated through transmission electron microscopy, mainly on extraction replicas, and matrix features were observed in thin foils. High resolution scanning electron microscopy was also applied, especially on fracture surface samples, to correlate toughness resu...
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