Perspectives on Quenching and Tempering 4340 Steel

Clarke, A. J.; Klemm-Toole, Jonah; Clarke, Kester D.; Coughlin, Daniel R.; Pierce, Dean T.; Euser, V. K.; Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Clausen, Bjorn; Brown, Donald W.; Almer, Jonathan; Gibbs, Paul J.; Alexander, David J.; Field, R. D.; Williamson, Don L.; Speer, J. G.; Krauss, George

doi:10.1007/s11661-020-05972-1

Perspectives on Quenching and Tempering 4340 Steel

Journal Article · Thu Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05972-1· OSTI ID:1657929

Clarke, A. J. ^[1]; Klemm-Toole, Jonah ^[2]; Clarke, Kester D. ^[1]; ^[3]; ^[4]; Euser, V. K. ^[1]; ^[5]; ^[3]; ^[3]; Almer, Jonathan ^[6]; ^[3]; Alexander, David J. ^[3]; Field, R. D. ^[7]; Williamson, Don L. ^[2]; Speer, J. G. ^[2]; Krauss, George ^[2]

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

Steels are ubiquitous due to their affordability and the landscape of useful properties that can be generated for engineering applications. But to further expand the performance envelope, one must be able to understand and control microstructure development by alloying and processing. In this paper we use multiscale, advanced characterization to better understand the structural and chemical evolution of AISI 4340 steel after quenching and tempering (Q&T), including the role of quench rate and short-time, isothermal tempering below 573 K (300 °C), with an emphasis on carbide formation. We compare the microstructure and/or property changes produced by conventional tempering to those produced by higher temperature, short-time “rapid” tempering. We underscore that no single characterization technique can fully capture the subtle microstructure changes like carbon redistribution, transition carbide and/or cementite formation, and retained austenite decomposition that occur during Q&T. Only the use of multiple techniques begins to unravel these complexities. After controlled fast or slow quenching, η transition carbides clearly exist in the microstructure, likely associated with autotempering of this high martensite start temperature (Ms) steel. Isothermal tempering below 598 K (325 °C) results in the relief of carbon supersaturation in the martensite, primarily by the formation of η transition carbides that exhibit a range of carbon levels, seemingly without substitutional element partitioning between the carbide and matrix phases. Hägg transition carbide is present between 300 °C and 325 °C. After conventional tempering at or above 598 K (325 °C) for 2 h, cementite is predominant, but small amounts of cementite are also present in other conditions, even after quenching. Previous work has indicated that silicon (Si) and substitutional elements partition between the cementite, which initially forms under paraequilibrium conditions, and the matrix. Phosphorous (P) may also be preferentially located at cementite/matrix interfaces after high temperature tempering. Slower quench rates result in greater amounts of retained austenite compared to those after fast quenching, which we attribute to increased austenite stability resulting from “autopartitioning”. Rapid, high temperature tempering is also found to diminish tempered martensite embrittlement (TME) believed to be associated with the extent of austenite decomposition, resulting in mechanical properties not attainable by conventional tempering, which may have important implications with respect to industrial heat treatment processes like induction tempering. Controlling the amount and stability of retained austenite is not only relevant to the properties of Q&T steels, but also next-generation advanced high strength steels (AHSS) with austenite/martensite mixtures.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; 89233218CNA000001; AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 1657929

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1804097
OSTI ID: 1688790

Journal Information:: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Journal Name: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 51; ISSN 1073-5623

Publisher:: ASM InternationalCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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