Mechanical Properties of Quench-Hardened, Martem-Pered and Tempered Astm A 128 Grade B-4 Steel
Mechanical Properties of Quench-Hardened, Martem-Pered and Tempered Astm A 128 Grade B-4 Steel
Mechanical Properties of Quench-Hardened, Martem-Pered and Tempered Astm A 128 Grade B-4 Steel
Ibitoye et al.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF QUENCH-HARDENED, MARTEMPERED AND TEMPERED ASTM A 128 GRADE B-4 STEEL
S. A. Ibitoye1, J. O. Olawale2 and M. D. Shittu3
1,2,3
ABSTRACT
This investigation is conducted to assess the influence of some heat treatment procedures on the
structure and mechanical properties of cast ASTM A grade B-4 steel to which formation of grain
boundary carbides have been a major problem. Some cast ASTM A grade B-4 steel samples were
quench-hardened, martempered and tempered. The as-cast and heat-treated samples were thereafter tested for tensile strength, yield strength, impact strength, ductility and hardness. Some of
the samples were also prepared for metallographic examination and their microstructures were
studied. It was observed that in all cases, the microstructures were mainly austenite matrix with
or without carbides at the grain boundaries and in the austenitic grains depending on the heattreatment adopted. The measured mechanical properties varied and were greatly dependent on
the presence or absence of carbides either at the grain boundaries or at both the grain boundaries and in the grains of austenite matrix. Two of the heat treatment procedures were found to be
appropriate as post-casting processes suitable for ASTM A 128 grade B-4 steel components designed to function under a condition in which impact strength and hardness are simultaneously
required.
Keywords: austenitic manganese steel, heat treatment, mechanical properties, grain boundaries,
carbides
INTRODUCTION
Sir Robert Hadfield invented the original austenitic manganese steel, containing about 1.2%
C and 12%Mn in 1882 (Perry and Green,
1997). Hadfields steel was unique in that it
combined high toughness and ductility with
high work-hardening capacity, usually good
resistance to wear and possession of slow crack
propagation rates (Subramanyan et al, 1990;
Avery, 1995; Rajan et al, 1999; Smith et al,
2004). These non-magnetic steels harden in
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( D / 2)(D
(D
d2
))
(1)
UTS
Fmax
Ao
(2)
L f Lo
Lo
100
(3)
Ao A f
Ao
100
(4)
where Ao and Af is the initial and final crosssectional area of the tensile specimen respectively. Reduction in area is independent of the
sample gauge length and reflects the local deformation in the necked region. For these reasons, it is considered as a better measure of
ductility.
Impact strength is capability of a material to
absorb energy without failure under impact
loading. In actual service, a component such as
crusher jaw is subjected to dynamic loading for
which reason; knowledge of tensile strength
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RESULTS
The results of tensile strength, proof stress,
percentage elongation and percentage reduction
in area for each of the as-cast and heat-treated
samples are presented in Table 2.
The results of micro examination are as shown
in the optical micrographs presented in Plates 1
7. Plate 1 and 2 shows austenite structure
with carbide along the grain boundaries for ascast sample and Plates 3 and 4 show austenite
grain boundaries in austenite matrix for waterquenched and martempered respectively. It is
noted however, that the austenite grain boundaries in Plate 4 have almost disappeared. Plates
5, 6 and 7 correspond to microstructure of low,
medium and high tempered sample respectively
showing austenite structure with carbide precipitates along the grain boundaries.
The microstructure in the as-cast condition
shows carbides (black constituents) precipitated
along austenite grain boundaries and sparsely
dispersed in the grains (Plate 1). The concentration of the carbides is clearly revealed in Plate
2. In water-quenched condition, the microstructure also reveals austenitic grains as presented
in Plate 3. The black lines in microstructure are
Table 1: The Chemical Composition of the Prepared ASTM A 128 Grade B-4
Element
Composition (%)
Mn
Si
1.260
12.600
0.934
0.056
Tensile
Strengt
h (MPa)
725
705
680
765
Proof
Stress
(MPa)
352
345
330
359
Percentage
Elongation
(%)
37.0
40.0
45.5
36.0
Percentage
Reduction
in Area (%)
33.0
34.5
37.4
30.0
Hardness
(HB)
215
209
201
228
820
365
32.0
28.3
241
112
827
380
31.0
27.7
245
100
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Impact
Strength (J)
117
134
138
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Plate 1: Optical micrograph of the prepared as-cast ASTM A 128 grade B-4 showing collection of carbide precipitates (darkish) concentrated at austenite grain boundaries and sparsely
distributed in the austenite matrix
Plate 2: Scanning electron micrograph of as-cast ASTM A 128 grade B-4 prepared showing
grain boundary carbide precipitates
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and large black spots are non-metallic inclusions. In tempering condition, the microstructure reveals austenite grains with precipitated
carbide at grain boundaries and in grain as
shown in Plate 5 - 7. But the proportion of volume of precipitated carbides increases with
increase in tempering temperature.
Ibitoye et al.
Plate 6: Optical micrograph of medium tempered sample (heated to 1040 C, water quenched
and re-heated to 450 C) showing the precipitated carbide (blackish) at the grain boundaries
and in the grain of austenite matrix
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