The effect of carbon on 2.25 Cr-1 Mo steel: (I). Microstructure and tensile properties

Abstract

The microstucture, hardness, and the tensile properties of 2.25 Cr-1 Mo steel with 0.009, 0.030, 0.120, and 0.135 wt % C were determined on steels in the annealed (furnace-cooled from 927°C), normalized (air-cooled from 927°C), and normalized-and-tempered conditions. As annealed, the microstructure was primarily proeutectoid ferrite with spherical carbides and pearlite, the amounts increasing with increasing carbon content. During normalization ( 7 8 in rods or 1 in plates were heat-treated), granular bainite formed: 1 to 2 and 15 to 20% bainite (remainder proeutectoid ferrite) for the 0.009 and 0.030 wt % C steels, respectively; the 0.120 and 0.135 wt % C steels were entirely bainite. On tempering, carbides precipitated. In all heat-treated conditions, there was little difference in the room temperature hardness of the 0.009 and 0.030 wt % C steels and between the 0.120 and 0.135 wt % C steels. Tensile tests from 25 to 565°C indicated that strength depends on microstructure, which is determined by carbon content.