Induction Hardening of a 0.40 % C Novel Microalloyed Steel: Effects of Heating Rate on the Prior Austenite Grain Size

Abstract

This work explores the effect of heating rate on the prior austenite grain size and hardness of a thermomechanically processed novel niobium-microalloyed 0.40 % carbon low-alloyed steel intended for use in induction hardened slurry pipelines. The aim was to identify the heating rates that lead to the maximum hardness, for high wear resistance, and minimum prior austenite grain size, for high toughness. For this purpose, a Gleeble 3800 machine has been employed to simulate the induction hardening process and provide dilatometric phase transformation data. The prior austenite grain structure has been reconstructed from the EBSD results using a MatlabR script supplemented with MTEX texture and crystallography analyses. Heating rates ranged from 1 to 50 °C/s and the cooling rate was 50 °C/s. The results show that the prior austenite grain size greatly depended on the heating rate: compared to the lower heating rates, the maximum heating rate of 50 C/s produces remarkably fine prior austenite grains and a fine final martensitic microstructure after quenching. In addition, a relation between the heating rate and the deviation from equilibrium temperature has been established.