Microstructure evolution of GCr15 in cold ring rolling and following heat treatment

Abstract

The influences of deformation degrees on the microstructure evolution of GCr15 steel in cold ring rolling and following heat treatment (quenching and temper) are investigated in this paper. As the deformation is uneven, microstructure at the outer surface, middle place and inner surface on the cross-section of the ring is selected for the study. The microstructure is characterised by scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The transformation is studied with differential scanning calorimetry, and the hardness is examined by Vickers hardness tester. The results show that the deformation is severe on the outer surface but slight on the middle place and inner surface. A large degree of deformation leads to the acceleration of carbide dissolution, the grain refinement and the increase of hardness. In addition, the deformation results in the decrease of transformation temperature according to the differential scanning calorimetry data.