Effect of quenching and tempering treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of 300M ultra-high strength steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Abstract

To achieve high-performance 300 M steel parts through the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process, post-heat treatments are indispensable. Herein, the effects of quenching and tempering treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of LPBF-fabricated 300M ultra-high strength steel were investigated, and the relevant strengthening and toughening mechanisms were analyzed. The microstructure of quenched samples primarily consisted of quenched martensite with minor amounts of bainite and some grain boundary allotriomorphic ferrite. The quenched samples presented significantly higher strength than the 300M forgings, primarily attributed to the contributions of solid solution strengthening, grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening. After following tempering treatment, the microstructure of LPBF-fabricated samples mainly consisted of tempered martensite with minor amounts of bainite and residual austenite. Compared to the quenched samples, the tempered samples exhibited a decrease in strength while demonstrating a significant increase in ductility. The samples treated with the optimal heat treatment process (900 °C/1 h/Oil Cooling for quenching + two times of 300 °C/2 h/Air Cooling for tempering) demonstrated a remarkable strength–ductility balance, with a yield strength (YS) of 1834 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 2099 MPa, and an elongation (EL) of 10.2%, which are all beyond or comparable to those of 300M forgings.