Title: The steel superstrengthening phenomenon, part 2

Authors: Nikolai Kobasko

Addresses: Intensive Technologies Ltd., Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract: The paper discusses a combined heat treatment that includes the potentialities of high-temperature thermal-mechanical treatment and intensive quenching. Due to high-temperature thermal-mechanical treatment and intensive quenching within the martensite range, the strength and plastic properties of materials are significantly improved and compressive residual stresses are formed at the surface and small tensile stresses in the core, which result in the increase of their service life. The suggested combined approach is also efficient in the case of the heat treatment of forgings with the use of forging heat. The suggested technology considerably saves energy resources and makes unnecessary intermediate operations such as repeated heating before quenching. Oil, as a quenchant, is replaced by plain water. The industrial quenching line can be placed directly in the forgery workshop and yield big economical benefits.

Keywords: high temperature treatment; thermal-mechanical treatment; intensive quenching; superstrengthening; compressive stresses; service life; steel parts; heat treatment; residual stress; strength; plastic properties.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2008.022034

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2008 Vol.3 No.4/5, pp.526 - 547

Published online: 17 Dec 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article