skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Solidification microstructure and M{sub 2}C carbide decomposition in a spray-formed high-speed steel

Journal Article · · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Research Inst. of Industrial Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of). Advanced Materials Div.

The solidified carbide morphology, the decomposition behavior of the M{sub 2}C carbide, and the carbide distribution after forging of an Fe-1.28C-6.4W-5.0Mo-3.1V-4.1Cr-7.9Co (wt pct) high-speed steel prepared by spray forming have been investigated. The spray-formed microstructure has been characterized as a discontinuous network of plate-shaped M{sub 2}C carbides and a uniform distribution of fine, spherical MC carbides. The metastable M{sub 2}C carbides formed during solidification have been fully decomposed into MC and M{sub 6}C carbides after sufficient annealing at high temperatures. Initially, the M{sub 6}C carbides nucleate at M{sub 2}C/austenite interfaces and proceed to grow. In the second stage, the MC carbides form either inside the M{sub 6}C carbides or at the interfaces between M{sub 6}C carbides. With this increasing degree of decomposition of the M{sub 2}C carbide, the carbides become more uniformly distributed through hot forging, which produces a significant increase in ultimate bend strength. The decomposition treatment of M{sub 2}C carbide has been found to be most important for obtaining a fine homogeneous carbide distribution after hot forging.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
616264
Journal Information:
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Vol. 29, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: May 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English